EJ Obiena wraps up the INIT Indoor Meeting campaign with a bronze

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

EJ Obiena is off to a rousing start to his pole vault season after bagging the bronze medal at the INIT Indoor Meeting Karlsruhe in Germany, a day after winning gold at the 12th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships.

With another medal, Obiena extended his podium streak to four finishes, including two bronzes and a joint gold in Germany, and a championship campaign in Tianjin, China.

Obiena cleared 5.70 meters to secure the bronze, matching his height in China and his gold medal performance during last year’s Southeast Asian Games.

Sondre Mogens Guttormsen of Norway ruled the event with a clearance of 5.84 meters, followed by American Cole Walsh, who finished second with 5.78 meters.

Much of the post-competition buzz focused less on his third-place finish and more on his viral social media post, in which he described his recent tournament stretch as the “toughest” he has experienced.

“Definitely the toughest back-to-back I have ever done and hopefully would ever do,” Obiena shared on his official Instagram post.

In just two weeks, Obiena competed in four international tournaments before entering a grueling stretch, with only a day of rest before returning to Germany.

“Running on airplane food,” Obiena added.

“A couple hours of shut eye. Thankful and blessed to walk away with the bronze here at the INIT Indoor Meeting Karlsruhe. Thank you for the smooth transfer from the airport to the hotel. Got the much-needed nappy minutes.”

Obiena seeks to extend his podium streak on Feb. 19, 2026, when the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais kicks off in France.