By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Filipino pole vaulting sensation EJ Obiena had another podium finish and nabbed the bronze medal during the recently concluded 2022 Silesia Diamond League in Poland.
After resetting his own Asian pole vaulting record during the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA, Obiena displayed another masterful performance in Poland and successfully got past the 5.73-meter height on his second try to win the bronze.
However, the Filipino superstar failed his bid for a better Diamond League finish after squandering his routine in the 5.83-m that could’ve put him in the second spot.
Sondre Guttorsmen of Norway got the same score as Obiena with 5.73-m but topped the Filipino in the rankings after only needing one attempt to get past over the height.
Reigning Olympic champion and legend Armand Duplantis of Sweden was once again hailed as the tournament king and finished the tilt with a 6.10-m score.
Duplantis’ campaign in the Silesia Diamond League set another tournament record and continued his dominant pole vaulting run for the past four months.
Piotr Lisek of Poland locked in the fourth spot after finishing the tournament with a 5.63-m score while USA’s Chris Nilsen completed the top five with 5.53-m.
Completing the list of participants during the Diamond League are Thibaut Collet of France and Brazil’s Thiago Braz.
After his stint in Poland, Obiena will take no days off and will immediately fly to Hungary for the Athletics Grand Prix on August 8.
If Obiena manages to crack into the top three in Hungary, the Filipino superstar will have a huge chance of inching closer to Duplantis’ score and oust Nilsen from the no. 2 spot.
