MANILA – Filipino pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena notched gold and surpassed a two-decade-old Asian record at the 2021 Golden Roof Challenge in Innsbruck, Austria, on Saturday night (Sunday in the Philippines).
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics campaigner recorded a new meet record of 5.93 meters, surpassing Kazakhstan’s Igor Potapovich’s Asian record of 5.92 meters set in 1998.
Apart from breaking the Asian record, the former University of Santo Tomas standout improved on his personal best and Philippine pole vault record of 5.91 achieved last month in the Paris Diamond League.
Matt Ludwig of the United States took home the silver medal, while Ersu Sasma of Turkey settled with bronze. Both pole vaulters cleared 5.60 meters, although the American cleared it in fewer attempts.
With the gold medal already in the bag, Obiena went for the 5.93 meters leap to create a new personal best and Asian record. He faltered on his first two attempts before succeeding on his third and last attempt.
“I wanted this (2021 Golden Roof Challenge championship) so bad. I couldn’t have done it without all of you guys,” an emotional Obiena uttered to the crowd.
Other pole vaulters who competed in the event were Authorized Neutral Athletes’ Timur Morgunov, Netherlands’ Menno Vloon, and Austria’s Riccard Klotz.
Days before his feat in Austria, the 6-foot-2 Obiena placed fourth in the 2021 Diamond League in Zurich’s Stadion Letzigrund with a 5.83-meter leap.
He attempted to break the Asian record in that event with 5.93 meters but failed on three attempts. He earned $4,000 for finishing fourth.
Armand Duplantis won the gold medal after setting a new meet record of 6.06 meters in the final. The gold medalist from the Tokyo Games flirted once more with a new world record but failed in all three attempts./PN
