EJ Obiena reigns supreme in the ISTAF Indoor Germany tilt

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

EJ Obiena’s convincing international tournament campaign continues after bagging another gold medal during the recently concluded ISTAF Indoor tournament on March 7, 2026, in Berlin, Germany.

Coming off back-to-back championship runs in Germany and China, Obiena picked up where he left off, edging Norway’s Simen Guttormsen via the countback rule to stand tall in the middle of the podium.

Obiena cleared 5.78 meters to secure his third gold medal of the year, a season-best height that topped his 5.77-meter outing during the Internationales Springer-Meeting tourney in Cottbus, Germany.

Just like his title run in the 12th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, Obiena also gained momentum at the 5.60-meter mark, clearing the height in two attempts to stay in contention for the gold.

The Filipino pole-vaulting sensation then showed why he is on another level after needing only a single attempt to clear 5.78 meters, a feat that Guttormsen failed to match as he needed multiple tries to complete the height.

Joining Obiena and Guttormsen on the podium are Menno Vloon of the Netherlands and Bo Kanda Lita Baehre of Germany, who shared the bronze.

With another gold medal, Obiena is currently enjoying one of his best starts in the international tournament calendar, collecting his fifth overall medal — three golds and two bronzes — since kicking off 2026 with a bronze in Dusseldorf, Germany.

“Brick by brick, we build,” Obiena posted on his official social media accounts.

“Season’s best of 5.78 meters and a gold here @istaf_indoor. Thanks for having me, Berlin. #parasabayan.”

Obiena aims to sustain his momentum on March 20, 2026, when he returns to compete in the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland.