World Championship Silver for Iida in Ultra Pole

Iida on the Ultra Pole podium as the silver medalist.

October 28th, 2026

Representing our association, Iida Sulonen won silver in Ultra Pole on Tuesday evening at the World Pole & Aerial Championships in Prague. Iida fought her way to the final by winning all three qualifying rounds. The world title was ultimately decided by the narrowest of margins, with a 1–2 split of the judges' votes.

In the final, Iida faced Diana Lopez Gomez of Spain, who already has several Ultra Pole championship medals to her name. The duel was evenly matched to the very end. Two of the three judges chose Lopez Gomez as the winner, and the gold medal slipped away from Iida by the smallest possible margin.

Iida and Diana Lopez Gomez in the Ultra Pole final — Iida (left) and Diana Lopez Gomez in the Ultra Pole final

"The final was really close, and I'm very happy with this silver, even though gold would of course have been a great achievement too. I'm proud that I was able to challenge the best in the world with my own style. A big thank you to my coaches, my club, and everyone who has supported me."

Iida also works as an instructor and coach at our association. She already achieved international success as a junior. In Prague, Iida showed that she has made her move into the senior categories with a bang. Iida's World Championship week continues on Thursday, October 29, when she competes in the Artistic Pole Senior 18+ Women category at around 9 PM Finnish time.

Congratulations to Iida on her fantastic World Championship silver, and good luck on Thursday!

What Is Ultra Pole?

Ultra Pole is IPSF's freestyle duel discipline, decided in a knockout format. No pre-rehearsed routines are performed. Athletes face each other in two-minute duels, alternating in 30-second turns to music drawn at random by the organizer. Each turn must answer the previous challenge and throw a new one back. Ultra Pole demands strength, courage, and lightning-fast creativity.

Three judges assess the difficulty and innovation of the tricks, technical execution, and performance and audience engagement. At the end, each judge picks one of the two competitors as the winner. The first Ultra Pole World Championships were held in 2016, and athletes can only reach the World Championships through national qualifiers.

Background: IPSF and the World Championships

The World Pole & Aerial Championships are being held at Sportovní hala Kbely in Prague from October 27 to November 1, 2026. Over 650 top athletes from around the world are taking part in the six-day event, the largest competition of the year in these sports.

IPSF (International Pole and Aerial Sports Federation) is an international non-profit umbrella organization that develops pole and aerial sports as competitive sports around the world. The federation is pursuing Olympic recognition for its sports and follows the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). IPSF disciplines include Pole Sport, Artistic Pole, Ultra Pole, Aerial Hoop, Aerial Pole, and Aerial Silks.

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