EJ Obiena reigns supreme in Germany tilt

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

EJ Obiena’s convincing international tournament campaign continued after he captured the gold medal at the recently concluded Halberstädter Höhenflug at Domplatz Cathedral Square in Halberstadt, Germany, on Aug. 1, 2026.

With the win, Obiena bagged his sixth gold medal of the 2026 tournament calendar, picking up where he left off after ruling the International Jump-Meeting Cottbus, the 12th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, the Berlin ISTAF Indoor, and Poland’s Czeslaw Cybulski Memorial.

Obiena cleared 5.76 meters to clinch the title, edging Qatar’s Seifeldin Abdelsalam and the United States’ Cole Walsh, who claimed the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

The Filipino pole-vaulting sensation had an electric start to the tournament, dominating the 10-man field by clearing 5.56 meters with ease.

As he did in Poland, Obiena skipped the next height of 5.66 meters to brace for the next hurdle and preserve some of his energy for the higher clearances.

That move paid dividends, as Obiena didn’t have any trouble during his golden leap at 5.76 meters, which was more than enough to seal the championship in Germany.

Obiena wasn’t satisfied and attempted to reset his season best when he asked the organizers to set the bar at 5.90 meters, but he missed all three of his attempts.

Obiena is enjoying one of his best starts to an international tournament calendar after collecting his ninth overall medal since kicking off 2026 with a bronze in Düsseldorf, Germany.

“Thank you Halberstadt for the wonderful time! What a beautiful venue with an amazing crowd. Happy to get the gold with a 5.76m,” Obiena posted on his official Facebook account after the win.

Obiena aims to sustain his momentum on Aug. 5, 2026, when he returns to compete in the Internationale Stabhochsprung-Meeting in Jockgrim, Germany.