Meet the initial batch of world-class athletes competing in the the Atletang Ayala World Pole Event at the Ayala Triangle Gardens this September.
EJ Obiena had long yearned for a first-rate pole vault tournament on home soil.
That will soon come to fruition with the two-time Olympian’s staging of Atletang Ayala World Pole Event set on September 21.
[RELATED STORY: EJ Obiena to invite Mondo Duplantis, others as Philippines hosts world-class pole vault competition]
The much-anticipated event at the Ayala Triangle Gardens is sanctioned by the World Athletics, with the athletes competing stand to earn points.
Apart from world No. 5 Obiena himself, meet the other pole vaulters who confirmed their participation in the competition:
[ALSO READ: EJ Obiena raring to show off in front of home crowd in Makati pole vault meet]
MENNO VLOON (The Netherlands)
Menno Vloon recently won the 2025 European Indoor Championships. The 30-year-old, ranked No. 7 in the world, also holds the Dutch national record of 5.96m (indoor).
AUSTIN MILLER (USA)
Austin Miller is a 31-year-old pole vaulter from Herndon, Virginia. The world No. 14 is a many-time national champion, his latest conquest being the 2025 USA National Outdoor Track and Field championship.
MATTHEW LUDWIG (USA)
Matthew Ludwig joins fellow American Austin Miller in the competition in Makati City. Ranked no. 25, Ludwig comes in with a chip in his shoulder. The 2021 Tokyo Olympian seeks his first gold after the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
