Filipino pole vault star Ernest John “EJ” Obiena chalked up another historic feat by becoming the first Asian to win a medal in the World Athletics Championships at the at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, United States on Sunday, July 24, 2022. (July 25, Monday, Manila Time).
The 26-year-old Obiena finished with a bronze medal in the prestigious pole vault competition that featured current and previous Olympic medalists.
Obiena reset his personal record, which happens also to be the Asian record, with 5.94-meters, eclipsing his 5.93m record he tallied last year in the 17th Golden Roof Challenge in Austria.
Obiena and eventual silver medalist Christopher Nielsen of the United States both cleared 5.94m in the competition, but the latter, who is the Tokyo Olympics silver medalist, was declared as the second placer via a countback.
As expected, the world’s No. 1 pole vaulter and Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Armand Duplantis of Sweden topped the competition for the gold medal by clearing 6.21m, which is a new world record.
Rio Olympics gold medalist Thiago Braz of Brazil settled for fourth place with 5.87m, while France’s Renauld Lavillenie grabbed the fifth spot with 5.87m tally also.
Sixth to 10th placers were Oleg Zernikel (Germany), Bo Kanda Lita Baehre (Germany), Ersu Sasma (Turkey), Pal Haugen Lillefosse (Norway), and Sondre Guttormsen (Norway).
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