MANILA – For the second time this week, Filipino pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena is a gold medal winner.
Obiena took home another gold with his record-setting performance in the 2022 Gala dei Castelli on Monday at the Bellinzona Municipal Stadium in Switzerland.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics men’s pole vault campaigner cleared 5.81 meters to break the previous Gala dei Castelli record that was set just last year.
Christopher Nielsen of the United States and Renaud Lavillenie of France settled for silver and bronze medal, respectively, after ending with an identical 5.71 meters.
“Glad to breaking the record for the last tournament of the season,” the 6-foot-2 Obiena wrote on his Facebook story hours after the competition.
Obiena’s gold medal feat in Switzerland just came a day after he notched a gold with his 5.71 meters in the Golden Fly event in Schaan, Liechtenstein.
This was the former University of Santo Tomas standout’s eighth consecutive podium finish in less than a month after capturing five golds, a silver and a bronze in his previous tournaments.
In late August, Obiena bagged a gold in the Stabhochsprung Meeting in Jockgrim before following it up with a bronze medal in the Athletissima event in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Last week, Obiena nabbed three straight golds in the True Athletes Classics in Leverkusen and St. Wendel City Jump, both in Germany and in Brussels Diamond League in Belgium, where he defeated Armand Duplandis of Sweden.
Obiena then fell short in the Das Internationale Stadionfest Berlin (ISTAF) 2022 tournament in Berlin, Germany before notching back-to-back gold early this week.
“One year ago, I broke the 29-year-old Asian record in outdoor pole vault by jumping 5.93m. A lot has happened since then, and, as usual, we keep on trying and keep on fighting, for the country,” Obiena said./PN
