The Filipino pole vault star, EJ Obiena has rediscovered his winning rhythm, capturing his second consecutive gold medal after producing a season-best leap of 5.75 meters at the Raiffeisen Austrian Open in Eisenstadt, Austria.
The victory came just days after Obiena topped the field at the Czeslaw Cybulski Memorial in Poznan, Poland with a 5.72-meter clearance, giving the two-time Olympian back-to-back titles for the first time in this year’s outdoor season.
His latest triumph was anything but straightforward. Competing through windy conditions and a competition that stretched past 11 p.m., Obiena needed multiple attempts before finally clearing the winning height of 5.75 meters.
The mark not only secured the gold medal but also established a new stadium record in Eisenstadt.
Obiena finished comfortably ahead of Great Britain’s Owen Heard and Czech Republic’s Dan Barta, who both settled for 5.55 meters.
“After many, many, many runs and third attempts, we needed to call it a night after 11 p.m. Thank you very much for having (me),” Obiena wrote on social media.
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The performance served as another encouraging sign that the Asian record holder is steadily rounding into form after an up-and-down outdoor campaign.
Obiena opened the season by clearing 5.74 meters to finish runner-up at a meet in Germany before struggling to an eighth-place finish at the Diamond League in Doha, Qatar with a clearance of 5.42 meters.
He then improved to fourth at the FBK Games in the Netherlands after clearing 5.64 meters before breaking through with consecutive victories in Poland and Austria.
His winning jump of 5.75 meters surpassed his previous outdoor season best and showed the consistency that had been missing during the early stages of the campaign.
Just as significant was the manner in which he earned the victory. Obiena successfully negotiated pressure-filled third attempts at both 5.65 meters and 5.75 meters before deciding against chasing a higher bar after already securing first place, a decision made with an eye toward preserving his body for the competitions ahead.
The result also strengthens Obiena’s preparations for a busy stretch on the European circuit. Following his triumph in Austria, the Filipino ace is scheduled to compete at the Fly Athens Street Pole Vault event in Greece as he continues building toward the major international championships later this season.
With confidence growing and his performances trending upward, Obiena appears to be peaking at the right time. After navigating early-season setbacks, the Filipino Olympian has once again shown the form that has made him one of the world’s premier pole vaulters.
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