8 April, 2026

Ayris vaults to world indoor champs podium

Imogen Ayris in action at the World Athletics Indoor Champ-ionships in Poland, where she won bronze in the women’s pole vault.
The Takapuna Athletics Club product and 25-year-old former Takapuna Grammar student had a clean score card up to 4.70m, with first-time clearances at all heights. The next progression of 4.80 unstuck most of the filed as all but two athletes failed to clear the height, leaving Ayris in a three-way tie for bronze with Czech and Swiss vaulters.
The only two athletes over 4.80m were eventual winner Molly Caudrey, from the UK, and Slovenian Tina Sutej, who took silver. Caudrey cleared 4.85m to defend her title from 2025.
Another TGS alumna and Takapuna club vaulter, Eliza McCartney, also cleared 4.70m, with close attempts at 4.80m. But the Olympic bronze medallist couldn’t find her form of two weeks ago in Auckland, where she cleared 4.81m for gold at the NZ Track and Field Championships. She partly put finishing sixth down to competing with unfamiliar poles.

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