Camille Naredo

Int'l pole vault stars look forward to competing in PH

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA -- Some of the world&#x27;s best pole vaulters are in town, and they are looking forward to enjoying not only the competition but also all that the Philippines has to offer.</p><p>International athletes who are here for the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge are eager to delight Filipino sports fans at the Ayala Triangle on Sunday, when they make their bid for the best height at the event, a first in the country.</p><p>More than clearing the bar, they also look forward to experiencing what the Philippines can offer, from sampling local cuisine and exploring new places to immersing in Filipino culture and meeting people.</p><p>Dutch pole vaulter Menno Vloon, currently ranked World No. 6, wants to connect with Filipinos during his visit.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2025/9/20/ej-obiena-eager-to-put-on-a-show-in-front-of-home-crowd-in-pole-vault-event-0630">READ: EJ Obiena eager to put on a show in front of home crowd in pole vault event</a></div><p>&quot;I&#x27;m excited to experience the energy and atmosphere of competing in the pole vault in the Philippines. It&#x27;s always special to jump in a new environment, and I&#x27;m looking forward to connecting with the local athletics community, feeling the crowd&#x27;s support, and hopefully putting down some great heights,&quot; Vloon said.</p><p>The current World No. 5, Turkey&#x27;s Ersu Sasma, is focused on the event, saying he wants to &quot;have a successful competition and hopefully win.&quot;  </p><p>French athlete Thibaut Collet wants to &quot;jump in a crazy place&quot; and discover what&#x27;s in store here.</p><p>The other pole vaulters want to immerse in the Filipino experience.</p><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DOvsXBukgmc/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A11801760.600000001%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1395" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>&quot;I&#x27;ve never been to the Philippines and, as a big boy, I&#x27;m curious about the food. I wonder if it&#x27;s half as good as in Poland,&quot; said Poland&#x27;s Piotr Lisek.</p><p>American Austin Miller and Belgian Ben Broaders are also both looking forward to experiencing Filipino food and culture.</p><p>Germany&#x27;s OIeg Zernikel said he&#x27;s &quot;excited for everything.&quot;</p><p>&quot;It is a new country I&#x27;ve never been to. This means there&#x27;s [a lot] to explore. Like the people… and their lifestyle,&quot; he said.</p><p>American vaulter Matt Ludwig expects to be mesmerized while here. He has a long to-do list other than the pole vault event, sharing that he would like to go on nature hikes and hunt for good street food.</p><p>&quot;I have never been to the Philippines, but I suspect it will be the most beautiful place that I&#x27;ve ever been. A tropical paradise that is inviting, relaxing, and exciting! I hope to walk around the city centers, enjoy some street food, and immerse myself in the culture. I would also like to take some hikes and excursions among nature and check out the local wildlife,&quot; said Ludwig.</p><p>&quot;I suspect that this experience in the Philippines will leave a lasting impression and have me continuing to visit for the rest of my life,&quot; he said.</p><p>The Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge marks the first time that international pole vaulters came together in the Philippines for a globally sanctioned event. It is the fulfillment of a long-time dream of Filipino athletics star EJ Obiena to host an international pole vault competition in the Philippines, with the support of the Ayala Foundation and the MVP Sports Foundation.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s875nIH8bJY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Some of the world's best pole vaulters are in town, and they are looking forward to enjoying not only the competition but also all that the Philippines has to offer.</p>

Some of the world's best pole vaulters are in town, and they are looking forward to enjoying not only the competition but also all that the Philippines has to offer.