Filipino EJ Obiena during the Wanda Diamond League in Laussane, Switzerland. | Photo from Obiena’s Facebook page
CEBU CITY, Philippines — After bagging a silver medal in Germany earlier this week, Filipino pole vault star Ernest John “EJ” Obiena added another medal, this time, a bronze during the Wanda Diamond League in Lausanne, Switzerland on August 25, 2022 (August 26, Manila Time).
Obiena, the world’s No. 3 pole vaulter cleared 5.80 meters the same as eventual silver medalist Christopher Nilsen of the United States. Nilsen earned the silver medal via countback.
Meanwhile, world No. 1 Armand Duplantis of Sweden cleared 6.10m to eclipse the 6.07m meet record that he also set.
Obiena needed two attempts to clear the 5.80 meters bar. He tried to clear the 5.90 meters but faltered. Nilsen only needed one attempt to clear 5.80m, but also failed to clear the 5.90m.
The 22-year-old Duplantis, the Tokyo Olympics champion cleared the 5.6m, 5.8m, and 5.9m in his first tries. He went on clear the 6.0m and 6.10m to earn the gold medal.
Last August 23, Obiena bagged the gold medal in the 26th Internationales Stabhochsprung-Meeting in Jockgrim, Germany, beating Nilsen who settled for the silver medal.
The rest of the top 10 in the Laussane competition were Sondre Guttormsen (Norway), Ben Broeders (Belgium), Thibaut Collet (France), Anthony Ammirati (France), Renaud Lavillenie (France), Valentin Lavillenie (France), and Dominic Alberto (Switzerland). /rcg
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