BREAKING NEWS: Ernest “EJ” Obiena, named the ‘Great Filipino hope’ in world athletics, has just delivered a top 3 podium finish at the prestigious Diamond League competition in Lausanne, Switzerland.
EJ Obiena won the Diamond League bronze medal by clearing 5.80 meters on his second attempt at the top tier one-day World Athletics competition held early Friday morning on August 26, 2022 (August 25 evening in Switzerland).
Obiena’s top 3 finish among the 10 best pole vaulters of the world displayed in front of three to four thousand people gathered at the Athletissima city event by the lake in Place de la Navigation earned Obiena the moniker the “Great Filipino Hope” from the Diamond League media.
The Philippines’ and Asia’s best pole vaulter cleared the same height as American Chris Nilsen but the latter made it in only one attempt and was awarded the silver medal. World No. 1 Armand Duplantis took the gold.
The Lausanne top 3 is a repeat of the 2022 Oregon World Championships where the same three pole vaulters took the same placements, with Obiena achieving a historic first-ever medal for the Philippines and breaking anew his Asian record at the event. The same 3 athletes hold the same placements in the current World Rankings, where Obiena zoomed to 3rd rank after his Worlds performance.
The Diamond League bronze follows Obiena’s silver medal finish at the 26th Internationales Stabhochsprung-Meeting in Jockgrim, Germany, where he also achieved the qualifying standard for the 2023 World Championships.
The 26-year-old Filipino champion athlete had previously won the Philippines’ first-ever Diamond League medal in Monaco.
Lausanne @Diamond_League refers to @ejobiena as the "Great Filipino hope" after clearing 5.80m in two attempts, matching American Chris Nilsen's height, and just behind world record holder and Swede superstar Armand Duplantis #FilipinoPride @GoodNewsPinas_https://t.co/VD4hfewUXD
— Angie Quadra-Balibay (@AngieQBalibay) August 25, 2022
Here are the results of the Men’s Pole Vault event at the Lausanne Diamond League:
- Armand Duplantis (SWE) 6m10 (meeting record)
- Chris Nilsen (USA) 5m80
- Ernest John Obiena (PHI) 5m80
- Sondre Guttormsen (NOR) 5m80
- Ben Broeders (BEL) 5m70
- Thibaut Collet (FRAU) 5m60
- Anthony Ammirati (FRAU) 5m60
- Renaud Lavillenie (FRAU) 5m40
- Valentin Lavillenie (FRA) 5m40
- Dominik Alberto (SUI) 5m40
EJ Obiena continues his quest for more Philippine medals in the following European tournaments:
- 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 podium finish at the Lausanne Diamond League!
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