BREAKING NEWS: The Philippines’ champion Ernest John “EJ” Obiena has just won pole vault gold at the 26th Internationales Stabhochsprung-Meeting in Jockgrim, Germany, while again making the qualification standard for the World Championships next year.
Obiena dominated the men’s pole vault event early morning on August 24, 2022 (August 23 evening in Germany), needing only one attempt to clear 5.61 meters, then 5.71 meters, on his way to the gold-winning vault at 5.81 meters.
The winning height cleared by Obiena is the qualification standard for the 2023 World Athletics Championships to be held in Hungary, the same competition where the Filipino pole vault champion clinched a historic bronze finish in the 2022 edition held in Oregon, USA.
The Worlds victory gave the Philippines its first-ever medal in the meet, broke the Asian record, and propelled the 26-year-old Obiena to the top 3 in the world rankings.
The World No. 3 in men’s pole vault outclassed the other 10 competitors in Germany, surpassing No. 2-ranked Christopher Nilsen of the United States who settled for silver after needing two attempts to clear 5.71m, and Marschall Kurtis of Australia who nabbed the bronze after clearing the same height in three attempts.
The Internationales Stabhochsprung-Meeting is Obiena’s first after being reinstated as a member of the Philippine national team and the first of seven successive scheduled competitions.
The following are EJ Obiena’s next events:
- 25/08 Laussane, Switzerland
- 28/08 Leverkusen, Germany
- 31/08 St. Wendel, Germany
- 02/09 Brussels, Belgium
- 04/09 Berlin, Germany
- 11/09 Schaan, Liechtenstein
SEND CONGRATULATIONS AND CHEERS in the comments below to EJ Obiena for again making the Philippines proud with his new gold medal from Germany and another qualification at the World Championships!
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