EJ Obiena’s quest to climb back among the world’s elite pole vaulters began with a promising start in Germany.
The Filipino Olympian opened his outdoor season by capturing the silver medal at the Eurowings Flight Circus in Dusseldorf, clearing 5.74 meters in a performance that offered an encouraging glimpse of where his form stands heading into a busy international calendar.
While the result did not end with a gold medal, it provided exactly the kind of momentum Obiena was hoping to build as he continues his push to regain ground in the world rankings after slipping to No. 13 following years of competing among the sport’s very best.
Standing in his way was American star Chris Nilsen, the Tokyo Olympics silver medalist, who delivered a record-breaking performance to claim the title. Nilsen cleared 5.83m to set a new meet record, surpassing the previous mark of 5.82m established by Dutch Olympian Menno Vloon last year.
Qatar’s Seifeldin Abdelsalam rounded out the podium with a bronze-medal finish after clearing 5.65m.
For Obiena, the competition served as more than just another event. It marked his return to outdoor action after several months away from competition following the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland, where he finished ninth with a clearance of 5.70m.
OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.
‘PARA SA BAYAN’
LOOK: Filipino pole vault ace Ernest John “EJ” Obiena wins a silver medal after clearing 5.74 meters at the Eurowings Flight Circus in Dusseldorf, Germany. |
: Screengrab from Obiena/Instagram via Hiroshi Suto, https://t.co/92tzXJz7A2 trainee pic.twitter.com/zzqs3L8n7Y
— INQUIRER Sports (@inquirersports) June 15, 2026
“Battled through some swirling winds but overall happy how it all went,” he said on his social media account.
The conditions proved challenging, but Obiena navigated them strategically.
The two-time Olympian bypassed the opening heights of 5.10m and 5.30m, opting to begin his day at 5.50m. The gamble paid off as he cleared the height successfully before finding a rhythm at 5.65m on his first attempt.
He then overcame 5.74m on his second try to secure second place and put himself in contention for a higher finish.
Obiena later attempted to match Nilsen’s winning height of 5.83m before taking three shots at 5.90m, but was unable to clear either mark.
Still, the silver-medal result represented a positive step forward for the 30-year-old, who is looking to rebuild momentum after injuries and inconsistent results affected his ranking over the past few seasons.
Obiena is scheduled to compete in the next stop of the Diamond League circuit in Doha, Qatar, where he will face a deeper field and another opportunity to measure himself against the world’s top vaulters.
After opening his outdoor campaign with a podium finish and a 5.74m clearance, Obiena heads to Doha carrying both confidence and momentum as he continues his climb back toward the sport’s upper echelon.
Don’t miss out on the latest sports news, updates, and fan discussions!
Follow our Facebook page Sports PH News today and join the community of passionate sports fans.
Leave a Reply