EJ Obiena bounces back with season-best record in Poland tourney

EJ Obiena rediscovered his winning form on Sunday, Feb. 16 (Monday, Philippine time) after capturing the gold medal in the Orlen Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland.

The two-time Olympic pole vaulter cleared the bar at 5.80 meters for a season-best golden performance to outshine his nine other rivals in this indoor tournament rated Silver in the World Athletics Combined Events Tour.

This was his second gold medal so far this season after conquering the Meeting Metz Moselle Athletor in France early this month where he posted his then season-best 5.70m.

It was a fitting comeback performance for Obiena after finishing last with 5.60m in the ISTAF Indoor tournament in Dusseldorf, Germany last week.

Local bet and veteran Piotr Lisek clinched the silver medal with a season-best feat of 5.70m, while Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen settled for the bronze via countback after also registering 5.70m.

The world No. 4 Obiena passed the opening height of 5.20m and 5.40m and went for 5.50m, which he cleared with ease, before passing against 5.60m.

While he had little trouble clearing 5.70m, the Tondo native took three ties to clear 5.80m.

He went for 5.85m, but was unsuccessful.

Other finishers include German Olympian Menno Vloon and China’s Huang Bokai, who posted 5.60m for fourth to fifth places, Polish Robert Sobera (5.50m) and Michael Gawenda (5.50m), Belgium’s Ben Broeders (5.40m), Italy’s Claudio Stecchi (5.40m), and Poland’s Filip Kempski (5.20m).

— Kristel Satumbaga-Villar