Obiena set for Lausanne pole vault showdown with Duplantis, Karalis

Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena is set to reunite with familiar rivals as he heads to Lausanne, Switzerland, for the men’s pole vault City Event of the Wanda Diamond League on 20 August.

Obiena is expected to go up against world-record holder and Olympic champion Armand “Mondo” Duplantis and world No. 2 Emmanouil Karalis in another highly anticipated pole vault showdown.

The men’s pole vault competition will be held at Place de la Navigation in Ouchy, a day before the main Athletissima meeting at Stade de la Pontaise on 21 August.

The upcoming competition comes after Obiena’s strong showing this season, highlighted by his seventh gold medal of the year.

The Lausanne meet will give Obiena another opportunity to test himself against some of the world’s best pole vaulters, including Duplantis, who currently holds the world record.

After Lausanne, Obiena is also set to compete in the Brussels Diamond League Final on 4 to 5 September and the World Athletics Ultimate Championships on 11 to 13 September.

The two events could provide Obiena with further opportunities to face Duplantis and Karalis, depending on the final entries and qualification.

The field also features several other elite pole vaulters, including Kurtis Marschall, Sam Kendricks, Sondre Guttormsen and KC Lightfoot, among others ranked among the world’s top 20.

Obiena’s European campaign comes ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, scheduled for 19 September to 4 October in Japan.