World's top pole vaulters to compete in Ayala challenge

Ersu Sasma of Türkiye, the European Championships bronze medalist and world No. 5, banners the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge on September 20-21 in Makati City.

He recently set a national record of 5.92 meters at the Internationales Stadionfest in Berlin last July.

Sasma joins fellow world-class pole vaulters Menno Vloon (Netherlands, world No. 6) and EJ Obiena (Philippines, world No. 7) in the competition.

Vloon won gold at the 2025 European Indoor Championships and the 2023 European Games, while Obiena is a two-time World Championship medalist and Asian Championships winner and record-holder with 5.93m.

Other notable competitors include Thibaut Collet (France, world No. 12), Ben Broeders (Belgium, world No. 13), Austin Miller (USA, world No. 14), Piotr Lisek (Poland, world No. 15), Oleg Zernikel (Germany, world No. 16), and Matt Ludwig of USA (world No. 23).