Golden roll: EJ Obiena rules back-to-back events in Poland

MANILA, Philippines – EJ Obiena has been picking up steam with a month left before the Paris Olympics.

A second consecutive competition in Poland yielded another gold medal for Obiena as the Filipino pole vault star reigned in the Memorial Czeslawa Cybulskiego in Poznan on Sunday, June 23.

Obiena topped the 10-man field with a 5.87m clearance, maintaining the momentum he gained after ruling the Irena Szewinska Memorial in Bydgoszcz three days ago.

Home bet Piotr Lisek settled for silver with 5.82m as he stumbled at 5.87m – a height Obiena hurdled in just a single attempt.

It was a perfect start for Obiena as he needed just one try each to clear 5.62m, 5.77m, and 5.87m before he registered three straight fouls at 6.01m in a bid to break his Asian record of 6.00m, which he set in the same month last year.

Saudi Arabia’s Hussain Al-Hizam snagged bronze with 5.62m, edging China’s Huang Bokai for the last podium spot via countback.

Utilizing his new poles, Obiena has rediscovered his groove as he earned back-to-back podium finishes for the first time in this outdoor season.

His 5.97m vault in Bydgoszcz is his highest in almost a year since he matched his Asian record when he captured a historic silver in the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in August.

Overall, Obiena has won three golds in the outdoor season, which he started by topping the Los Angeles Grand Prix in the United States in May.

The pride of Tondo will compete for the final time in the Meeting de Paris – a Diamond League leg – in France on July 7 before he wraps up his Olympic preparations. – Rappler.com