Between Rain and Euphoria: A Brief World Championships Recap

The men's pole vault competition at the World Championships in Tokyo was one of the highest-quality events in the history of the championships. The women, on the other hand, faced challenging weather conditions in the high jump.

How do you stay motivated when you know beforehand that the winner will almost certainly be Armand Duplantis? For the pole vaulters, it’s not a question. They embrace the camaraderie and celebrate every great performance. Still, Sam Kendricks (USA) must have been disappointed to finish fourth with an impressive 5.95m. He hadn’t been particularly eager to return to Tokyo – the memory of being forced into quarantine during the 2021 Olympics still weighs heavily on him. He remains convinced it was unjust. But in 2025, in a sold-out stadium, he was back – cheering on his fellow competitors with the same positive energy that makes him so popular in venues like the Lausitz-Arena in Cottbus. The medals went to others, but seeing him and his teammates celebrate Sweden’s Armand Duplantis as he soared to a new world record of 6.30m made it clear: this pole vaulting crew is something special. Full of team spirit, genuine joy for each other's achievements, and a relentless drive to improve. Watching them only builds anticipation for the next Cottbus Spring Meeting. The only German athlete in the men’s final, Bo Kanda Lita Baehre, finished tenth with a season’s best of 5.75m.

Things were slightly less euphoric in the women’s high jump on the final day of the championships – largely due to the weather. Heavy rain caused two interruptions. Maintaining focus and tension under such conditions is a major challenge. It’s remarkable that Australian winner Nicola Olyslagers managed to clear two meters at all. World record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR), after a bumpy season, was satisfied with bronze. From a Cottbus perspective, we strongly recommend she kick off her 2026 season once again in Cottbus. Her 2.04m performance at the Lausitz-Arena in 2024 was a promising start that led to an Olympic gold and a new world record of 2.10m later that season. Unfortunately, a 2025 appearance in Cottbus wasn’t possible.

The German women were reasonably content with a height of 1.93m. Christina Honsel, winner of the 2025 Cottbus meet, looked back on her seventh place at the World Championships feeling “grateful and happy” about a great season. Imke Onnen struggled a bit with the unfamiliar track surface but was satisfied with eleventh place and a strong season finish.