By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Pole vaulter EJ Obiena delivered a season-best performance but narrowly missed the podium after finishing fourth in the Fly Athens tournament in Greece on Sunday, July 5.
The two-time Olympian cleared 5.81m, surpassing his previous season-best of 5.78m at the ISTAF Indoor in Berlin, Germany last March pending certification.
It also marked Obiena’s first clearance of at least 5.80m since September last year, when he posted 5.80m during the Atletang Ayala Pole Vault Challenge that he organized at the Ayala Triangle Gardens.
“I have not seen you 5.80m bar in a while… I have missed you,” Obiena wrote on social media.
“A truly wonderful competition organized by @manolo and family. I have vaulted in lots of different venues but this is just pure picturesque. Vaulting in front of the Panathenaic stadium is a day to remember. Thank you very much for having me.
“Step in the right direction and on to the next,” he added.
American Christopher Nilsen captured the gold medal after winning via countback over France’s Thibaut Collet, with both athletes clearing 5.91m.
Obiena was actually part of a five-way tie at 5.81m with 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medalist Emmanouil Karalis of Greece, Netherlands’ Menno Vloon, Turkey’s Ersu Sasma and France’s Baptiste Thiery. However, the Filipino slipped to fourth after countback was applied.
Karalis eventually secured the bronze medal.
