After weeks of chasing the breakthrough that had eluded him, Filipino pole vault ace EJ Obiena finally found his winning form, capturing his first outdoor title of the 2025 season at the Czeslaw Cybulski Memorial in Poznan, Poland on Monday, June 29.
The two-time Olympian delivered a composed performance, clearing 5.72 meters to top the field and return to the top step of the podium after a string of frustrating results on the European circuit.
Obiena finished ahead of Great Britain’s Owen Heard, who settled for silver after clearing 5.60m, while Italy’s Matteo Oliveri claimed the bronze medal with the same height but lost the tiebreak on countback after requiring more attempts.
The Filipino strategically entered the competition at 5.40m after passing on the opening height of 5.25m, clearing it on his first attempt.
He then needed two tries to get over 5.60m before opting to skip 5.67m altogether and successfully clearing 5.72m on his second attempt—a height that ultimately secured the gold medal.
Still seeking to improve his mark, Obiena raised the bar to 5.77m but was unable to clear it.
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He then gambled on 5.82m, where three unsuccessful attempts ended his campaign. By then, however, none of his rivals had matched his winning clearance of 5.72m.
The victory marked a significant turnaround for the 29-year-old, whose outdoor campaign had been filled with near misses despite consistently competing against some of the world’s top vaulters.
It was his second podium finish of the season after taking silver at the Flight Circus meet in Düsseldorf, Germany earlier this month.
More importantly, the triumph halted a difficult run that saw Obiena finish eighth at the Diamond League stop in Doha, Qatar on June 19 after managing only 5.42m.
He also narrowly missed another podium with a fourth-place finish at the FBK Games in Hengelo, Netherlands, making his success in Poznan a timely confidence boost as he continues his preparations for the major championships later this season.
The victory also comes at an important stage of the outdoor campaign, with several high-profile meets still on the calendar before the season’s major championships.
Building confidence through strong performances will be crucial for Obiena as he aims to improve his world ranking and sustain his form heading into the latter half of the year, where every competition offers valuable points and experience against elite opposition.
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