Filipino pole vaulter Ernest John (EJ) Obiena clinched the bronze medal at the World Athletics Continental Tour held in Beijing, China.
Obiena cleared 5.65 meters but failed in his attempts to surpass 5.75 meters and 5.85 meters, settling for third place.
Host country’s bet Tao Zhong captured the gold medal via countback after clearing 5.75 meters, while Cole Walsh of the United States secured the silver medal, also clearing the same height as the Chinese athlete.
Obiena, who finished fourth place at the 2024 Paris Olympics, will aim for more glory in the upcoming world conclave set from September 13 in Tokyo, Japan.
Aside from the Tokyo tournament, this also served as an opportunity for Obiena to get more reps ahead of the much-anticipated Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge scheduled on September 20–21 at the Ayala Triangle in Makati.
Obiena is currently ranked No. 7 in the world men’s pole vault rankings.—Reymon Montero, Contributor