Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12) – After struggling in his first two tournaments for the year, Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena topped the 2022 Orlen Cup on Saturday in Lodz, Poland.
Obiena claimed the gold medal in the tournament after leaping his current season-best 5.81 meters.
The 25-year-old Filipino pole vaulter was solid in his jumps after clearing the 5.51, 5.71, and 5.81-meter heights all in his first attempt.
The Italy-based Obiena tried to break his 5.86 meters national indoor pole vault record, which he recorded in the same tournament last year, but he failed to get past the 5.90 and 5.95-meter clearances.
The Filipino Olympian settled for a silver medal in the 2021 Orlen Cup, despite breaking the Philippine indoor pole vault record.
Obiena’s training buddy Thiago Braz of Brazil and hometown bet Piotr Lisek tied for the second best leap at 5.71 meters, but Braz nabbed the silver via countback.
In his first two competitions this year, the Manila-born pole vault sensation placed fourth in the ISTAF Indoor Athletics Meet in Berlin, Germany and finished in eighth place in the Beijer Pole Vault Gala in Uppsala, Sweden.
Obiena will next compete in the Meeting Hauts de France in Lievin, France on Feb. 17 and the Orlen Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland on Feb. 22.
