By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Filipino prized pole vaulter EJ Obiena is currently on a hot streak after breaking his own PH record with a new mark of 5.91-meters during the Paris leg of the 2021 Wanda Diamond League.
Obiena shattered his previous national record of 5.87-meters during the Irena Szewińska Memorial/Bydgoszcz Cup.
Fresh off of the Athletissima stint in Lausanne, Switzerland, Obiena immediately buckled to work and displayed his best performance since the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Obiena’s 5.91-meters clearing score delivered him the tournament’s second-place behind Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Armand Duplantis of Sweden with 6.01-meters.
It was a tightly contested battle as Obiena, Duplantis, and American Christopher Nielsen all cleared the 5.91-meter mark and were set to conquer the 5.96-meters.
In the new height, Duplantis had an easy time clearing but the Filipino and USA’s bet was placed in a win-or-go-home situation after missing their first two attempts.
Obiena was the one who advanced after pulling off a clutch performance but wasn’t able to deliver in the 6.01-meters.
With the finish, the Filipino pole vaulter qualified for the next leg of the tournament and is seeking to punch a grand finals ticket to the Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich on September 8 and 9.
