Juliana De Menis Campos jumped to the record. © Sportissimus

Pole vault records tumble in Schlanders

The international pole vault meeting in Schlanders delivered on its promise on Friday evening. The high-caliber competition on the Kulturhausplatz square ended with two new stadium records. The more than 1.000 spectators in the Vinschgau region were thrilled.

July 19, 2025

From: pm/sn

When Brazilian Juliana De Menis Campos cleared the bar at 4,76 meters, the hundreds of spectators in the Kulturhausplatz square in Schlanders erupted in cheers. This jump not only secured the victory for the 28-year-old Brazilian – the two-time South American champion (2023 and 2025) set a new place record at the international pole vault meeting and improved her personal best (4,73 m) set just a few days ago.

"This victory means a lot to me. I've already achieved a few personal bests this year, and today I managed another one (4,76 meters, editor's note). My goal is to gradually work my way up to 4,80 meters. The atmosphere here in Schlanders is incredible. If it works out somehow, I'd like to come back next year. In any case, a huge compliment to the organizers," said De Menis Campos.

Juliana De Menis Campos was unbeatable. © Sportissimus

Second place in the rankings went to Elisa Molinarolo, an athlete from Veneto. After two failed attempts at 4,40 m and a successful third attempt, the athlete from the police sports group had no trouble clearing 4,55 m, achieving her best outdoor performance of the season. "I've had to wait a long time for this moment. I had a good feeling in training, but things weren't going so well in the competition. I'm happy that I managed 4,55 m on my first attempt. I'm a little sorry about the 4,40 m on my third attempt because I lost a bit of energy. But the most important thing is that I brought home 4,55," said Molinarolo, a multiple Italian champion who finished sixth at the European Championships in Rome and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Kofler secures ticket for the Italian Championships

Nathalie Kofler also made a name for herself. The SV Lana Raika athlete cleared 4,15 meters on her third attempt at her home competition. This result not only earned the 24-year-old third place at the prestigious South Tyrolean athletics event, but also direct qualification for the Italian Championships in August.

"The atmosphere here is fabulous. I really enjoy jumping in front of this crowd, and it makes it even better that I set my season's best here. Now the focus is on the Italian Championships. I want to be in top form there and, if possible, improve my personal best," said Kofler. Naama Bernstein (Israel) and Antonia Crestani Rebolledo (Chile) failed to clear the 4,15 m, while the "Azzurra" Giada Pozzato failed to clear the entry height of 3,90 meters.

Nathalie Kofler © Sportissimus

There was no shortage of excitement in the men's competition, which ended with another event record. Dutchman Menno Vloon jumped 5,91 meters, his best performance of the season. He beat the 2016 meeting record, held by Brazilian Olympic champion Thiago Braz Da Silva, by one centimeter. "It was fantastic to jump here; the atmosphere was truly exuberant. Schlanders, I love you! With 5,91 meters, I think I was able to give something back. My goals for this season? Just try to clear the 6 meters as often as possible," said the reigning European Indoor Champion.

Menno Vloon jumped 5,91 meters © Sportissimus

Ersu Sasma was delighted with second place. The Turk and Vloon fought a thrilling battle for the day's victory, but fell short at 5,91 meters. The 25-year-old was the only athlete to clear 5,82 meters in his first attempt. "I had a really great fight with Menno (Vloon, editor's note). Today (Friday) he had the better end. I'll try to bounce back next time. I really enjoyed the competition itself. I was here in 2023 and, just like then, I really enjoyed it this time. The atmosphere is unique and pushes us to achieve top performances," beamed Sasma.

Torben Blech rounded out the podium at the international pole vault meeting in Schlanders. With a first-attempt clearance of 5,61 meters, the 30-year-old German beat Carson Waters of the USA and the more highly-rated Sondre Guttormsen of Norway, who finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Piotr Lisek followed: The winner of the 2018 and 2023 pole vaults failed to clear 5,50 meters. Adrian Kübler (Switzerland) and Dennis Schober (Germany) finished seventh and eighth, respectively. Austrian Riccardo Klotz, who sustained an injury during the warm-up, withdrew from the competition.

A successful 21st edition

"The competitions were extremely exciting. We saw fantastic performances from the athletes, which were duly honored by the many fans. The comeback after a year's break was truly outstanding. Everything was just perfect, including the weather. We would like to sincerely thank the many volunteers and our sponsors who contributed to the success of the event," said Heiner Pohl, President of the Organizing Committee, at the end of the event, which was attended by numerous South Tyrolean celebrities, including skiing legends Gustav Thöni and Dominik Paris, luge queen Evelin Lanthaler, and Vice President of the Regional Government Franz Locher.

Evelin Lanthaler, Dominik Paris, and the three best women: Elisa Molinarolo, Juliana De Menis Campos, and Nathalie Kofler (from left). © Sportissimus

The results

Women:
1. Juliana De Menis Campos BRA, 4,76 m
2. Elisa Molinarolo ITA, 4,55 m
3. Nathalie Kofler ITA 4,15 m

Men:
1. Menno Vloon NED, 5,91 m
2. Ersu Samsa, TUR 5,82 m
3. Torben Blech GER, 5,61 m