OSJEK, Croatia (Feb 12) – American pole vaulter Cole Walsh captured the men’s event at the 2026 Memorijal Josip Gasparac, clearing 5.75 metres on Thursday to claim victory at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Bronze meet held at Dvorane Gradski Vrt.
After opening the competition with a second attempt 5.43m effort and also needed two tries to clear 6.63m, Walsh’s went on to win with a vault that equaled the fifth-best performance of his career, matching the same mark he has reached both indoors and outdoors. The 30-year-old from the United States, who also required a second attempt at his winning mark, topped a field of leading European contenders to open the two-day meeting, which runs through Feb. 13.
Walsh missed all three attempts at his new meeting record height of 5.84m. Filipino Ernest John Obiena owns the meeting record at 5.83m.
Hungary’s Márton Böndör, the 2025 World University Games bronze medallist, finished second with a height of 5.53m, continuing a consistent run of form on the indoor circuit. Finland’s Juho Alasaari, the four-time national champion and 2023 European Under-23 champion, placed third with 5.43m.
Croatian hope Ivan Seric, a three-time national champion, was the top home performer in fifth, clearing 5.33m. The meet will continue Friday with several track disciplines, including the introduction of the women’s 60m hurdles, a new addition to the Osijek programme aimed at expanding competitive depth across the tour.
Men’s Pole Vault Results – Memorijal Josip Gasparac (Osijek, Croatia)
- Cole Walsh (United States) – 5.75m
- Márton Böndör (Hungary) – 5.53m
- Juho Alasaari (Finland) – 5.43m
- Ioannis Rizos (Greece) – 5.33m
- Ivan Geronimo Šerić (Croatia) – 5.33m
- Antonios Santas (Greece) – 5.33m
- Bartosz Marciniewicz (Poland) – 5.33m
- Georgios Papanastasiou (Greece) – 5.23m
- Paweł Pośpiech (Poland) – 5.13m
- Ivan Horvat (Croatia) – 5.03m
NM. William Asker (Sweden)
