Vloon joins Manila pole vault tilt

Dutch star Menno Vloon is going to Manila to compete in the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault event set on 20 and 21 September at the Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati City.

The 31-year-old Vloon, the world No. 7 with a personal best of 5.96 meters, is already confirmed to see action after personally accepting the invitation from Ernest John Obiena, who aims to bring the sport that is largely played in Europe closer to Filipino fans.

Vloon will be joined by Americans Austin Miller and Matt Ludwig in this prestigious event that is sanctioned by World Athletics with valuable ranking points at stake.

Ranked No. 14 in the world, the 6-foot-3 Miller is one of the best American vaulters together with Chris Nielsen and Sam Kendricks. He has been a regular fixture in world-class events and even finished fourth in the Xiamen leg of the Diamond League last year.

Not to be outdone is Ludwig.

After seeing action in the Tokyo Olympics as a last-minute replacement for Kendricks, the 29-year-old Ludwig struggled to make an impact on the global level. His most impressive performance was 5.55 meters that prompted him to win a gold medal in the Pan American Games in 2023 in Chile.