EJ Obiena Wins First-ever Pole Vault Silver for Philippines in World Athletics Championship
Tokyo Olympian Ernest John ‘EJ’ Obiena wins the first-ever pole vault silver for the Philippines in World Athletics Championship.
Obiena made history by being the country’s first silver medalist at the 19th World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. Obiena won the men’s pole vault with a second 6-meter jump early Sunday morning.
The 27-year-old Filipino from Tondo, Manila, tied his Asian and national records by breaking them again, giving the Philippines the gold medal in the annual World Athletics tournament. In his second attempt, Obiena cleared the 6.00 meter high bar.
According to the article of Inquirer, he outdid the first bronze medalist from last year’s premier event in Eugene, Oregon. Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis of Sweden, the reigning Olympic and world record holder, won gold in the 6.10m jump.
Obiena even attempted to jump 6.05 and 6.10 meters. However, the aforementioned attempts were not completed. The silver medal was the country’s first in the event, following Obiena’s bronze medal.
Obiena, who is now ranked third, is anticipated to reclaim his position as World No. 2 in the WA rankings after defeating Christopher Nilsen of the United States. Obiena set her personal best and Asian record at the Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway in June.
Duplantis’ gold medal is his second in a row, while Australia’s Kurtis Marschall and Nilsen took bronze at 5.95 meters. Based on the article, Obiena became the first Filipino to qualify for the 33rd Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France, in 2024 by reaching the standard of 5.80 meters in the Bauhaus-Galan leg of the Diamond League in Stockholm, Sweden with 5.82m.
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