A rare situation occurred in determining the medalists in the women’s event at the international pole vault competition “Busan International Pole Vault Meeting.” One of the athletes who shared the podium was Kazakhstan’s Polina Ivanova.
On June 14, the traditional “Busan International Pole Vault Meeting” concluded in Busan, South Korea, with the awarding of medals in both the women’s and men’s competitions. This tournament holds a fairly high "D" category assigned by World Athletics.
In the women’s event, the medalists were unexpectedly decided at the height of 4.00 meters. Four athletes managed to clear this bar: Chayanisa Chomchundi and Chonticha Habut from Thailand, Polina Ivanova from Kazakhstan, and Olivia Gross from Australia. Therefore, the ranking was determined based on the number of attempts used. The Thai vaulters had the fewest attempts, and their results were identical. As a result, the organizers awarded two gold medals. The bronze went to Kazakhstan’s Polina Ivanova, who used fewer attempts than the main favorite, Olivia Gross from Australia. Fifth place went to Japan’s Akari Osakaia.
Thus, the TOP 5 of the women’s competition at the “2025 Busan International Pole Vault Meeting” were as follows:
Chayanisa Chomchundi (Thailand) – 4.00 meters;
Chonticha Habut (Thailand) – 4.00 meters;
Polina Ivanova (Kazakhstan) – 4.00 meters;
Olivia Gross (Australia) – 4.00 meters;
Akari Osakaia (Japan) – 3.80 meters.
Four athletes from Korea also competed. The total number of participants turned out to be smaller than initially announced. However, those who entered the TOP 5 were indeed the ones considered top contenders.
For Ivanova, the 4.00-meter jump equals her personal best set last year. Moreover, this is the third competition in 2025 where the Kazakh athlete has cleared 4.00 meters.
It is worth noting that Ivanova’s main rivals have achieved higher results earlier this year. Habut cleared 4.10 meters, Chomchundi and Osakaia – 4.20 meters, and Gross even jumped 4.35 meters in 2025. As a result, while Ivanova managed to repeat her personal best this year, her competitors were unable to match their season’s best.
In the photo: June 14, Busan. On the podium – Polina Ivanova and her two Thai rivals.
