Sondre Guttormsen gave no quarter. © Sportissimus/Stuefer

Favorites set the tone in Schlanders

Norwegian Sondre Guttormsen and Brazilian Juliana Campos triumphed at the 22nd edition of the international pole vault meeting in Schlanders on Friday evening. The hundreds of spectators in the Kulturhausplatz were treated to a top-class show by the stars of the international scene at this European Championship dress rehearsal.

August 01, 2026

From: pm/sn

Sondre Guttormsen jumped 6,06 meters back in March of this year. With that jump, the 27-year-old Norwegian not only set a personal best four months ago, but also a new national record. No wonder Guttormsen was the top favorite for the day's victory in Schlanders. And the Scandinavian lived up to his favorite status. He was the only one to clear 5,72 meters, then had the bar raised to 5,92 meters, but failed at that height, which would have been a new best for Schlanders.

“I would have loved to have set a new record for the crowd, but it wasn’t enough today. The good thing is, I can try again next year. I’m not making any excuses; everything went well today – except for my jumps. But there were some good jumps, and now I’m looking forward to the European Championships in Birmingham, where I hope to break the 6-meter mark again,” said Guttormsen.

Matteo Oliveri finished third. © Sportissimus/Stuefer

The podium alongside Guttormsen was completed by Turkey's Ersu Sasma in second place and Italy's Matteo Oliveri in third. Both jumped 5,62 meters, but Oliveri, unlike Sasma, the 2024 European Championship bronze medalist, only cleared it on his second attempt. "It was fantastic to jump here once again. Schlanders is and remains my favorite event. The first jumps were good, but unfortunately, I faded after that. But I know what I need to improve in the next competitions," analyzed Sasma, who also finished second last year.

Oliveri, the reigning Italian champion, commented: “I’m very satisfied. It’s a shame I couldn’t break the 5,72 mark. I’ve narrowly missed it for the fourth time. But the atmosphere was outstanding. Thanks to everyone for this great event, see you next time!” Olen Tray Oates (USA/5,47) finished in fourth place, and Swiss athlete Adrian Kübler came in fifth (5,27).

Juliana Campos won the women's competition again this year. © Sportissimus/Stuefer

The international pole vault meet in Schlanders began in the late afternoon with the women's competition after a brief rain shower. Early on, the duel between last year's winner and runner-up, and between the reigning champions of their respective countries, emerged: Juliana Campos (Brazil) against Elisa Molinarolo of the Italian national team. Despite difficult conditions – the approach run was harder than usual due to the rain and the water it had absorbed – both competitors cleared 4,52 meters on their first attempts and then failed at 4,62 meters. The decisive moment came on the third-to-last attempt, when Campos cleared 4,37 meters immediately, while Molinarolo needed three attempts to achieve the same height.

“Of course, I would have loved to jump another record like last year. But perhaps I was a little tired after the Brazilian Championships and the long journey. It was still a lot of fun, and I'm especially pleased that I was able to maintain my level with jumps over 4,50 meters. The atmosphere was unique, and if it works out at all, I'll be back again next year,” said Campos after her second consecutive victory in Schlanders. The record of 4,76 meters from last year will therefore remain unbroken for another year.

Molinarolo with a successful European Championship dress rehearsal

Molinarolo was also pleased with her performance at the Flower Ceremony. "I had a hard time getting into the competition. But the longer it went on, the better it got. My first two attempts at 4,62 meters were also good, so I can say it was a successful dress rehearsal for Birmingham before the European Championships. Besides, the conditions, with the rain during warm-up, were perhaps exactly what we'll find in Great Britain in ten days," the 32-year-old summarized.

Elisa Molinarolo © Sportissimus/Stuefer

Marijn Kieft secured third place. The 19-year-old Dutch champion and national record holder (4,56 meters) cleared both 4,02 meters and 4,22 meters confidently on her first attempt. However, she struggled at 4,37 meters, failing three times, and thus finished the competition in third place with a jump of 4,22 meters. "I can jump higher, but I'm satisfied with third place overall under these difficult conditions," said Kieft.

Virginia Scardanzan also finished the competition at the same height. Unlike Kieft, however, the Italian, who lives in Canada, had already recorded two failed attempts at 4,02 meters and therefore had to settle for fourth place. Behind her were the Dutchwoman Elise De Jong and the Italian U23 bronze medalist Giulia Busatta, both of whom cleared 4,02 meters.

The results

Men's Top 3:
1. Sondre Guttormsen NOR 5,72 meters
2. Ersu Sasma TUR 5,62 m
3. Matteo Oliveri ITA 5,62 m

Women's Top 3:
1. Juliana De Menis Campos BRA 4,52 meters
2. Elisa Molinarolo ITA 4,52
3. Marijn Kieft NED 4,22