Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Hana Moll, 21, leads the women’s pole vault entry at the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, coming off three consecutive Diamond League victories and a new personal best of 4.91m. Moll’s recent wins include a 4.84m clearance in Lausanne, 4.90m in Zurich, and 4.91m in Brussels, where she secured the Diamond League title. Her performance currently tops the 2026 world list among the competitors in Budapest.
She will face a highly experienced field, including three-time world champion Katie Moon, who retained her global title in Tokyo last year with a 4.90m clearance and previously shared the world crown at Budapest in 2023. Moon’s season best is 4.80m, and she placed fourth in Brussels with 4.70m, underlining her consistent championship form.
Also competing is Sandi Morris from the US, who claimed silver behind Moon in Tokyo and has reached 4.90m this year. Morris is one of the few women to have cleared five meters in competition. Swiss vaulter Angelica Moser, winner of the European title at 4.80m and runner-up in Zurich with 4.85m, is also among the medal contenders. Tina Šutej, who earned a world bronze in Tokyo, has cleared 4.80m this season.
Commonwealth champion Eliza McCartney and fellow New Zealander Imogen Ayris, who claimed Commonwealth bronze and cleared 4.81m this year, complete the competitive field. With world leader Nina Kennedy absent, the women’s pole vault competition in Budapest is expected to be wide open, though Moll currently carries the most momentum based on recent performances.