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EJ Obiena loses steam, finishes 10th in French tilt

Sports

EJ Obiena loses steam, finishes 10th in French tilt

By Kristel Satumbaga-Villar

Pole vaulter EJ Obiena lost his steam and finished 10th in the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais at the Arena Stade Couvert in Lievin, France Wednesday, Feb. 15 (Thursday in Manila).

This would be the first time in seven appearances this year that EJ Obiena is not at the podium. (File photo from EJ Obiena's Facebook page)

The 2020 Tokyo Olympian cleared 5.64 meters on his second attempt to finish last in the field via countback after Belgian Ben Broeders and Frenchman Valentin Lavillenie also registered the same output.

The Tondo native skipped the starting 5.44m height and immediately went to 5.64m, before skipping anew 5.73m to try 5.82m – the qualifying standard that would be used starting July 1 for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He was unsuccessful.

This would be the first time in seven appearances that Obiena did not finish inside the Top 3. He currently has three gold, two silver and one bronze medal in his indoor season campaign.

World record holder and reigning Olympic champion Mondo Duplantis of Sweden, as expected, ruled the field with 6.01m while Italy’s Claudio Stecchi and Australia’s Kurtis Marschall finished second and third after prevailing via countback with similar 5.82m mark with Americans Jacob Wooten and 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Chris Nilsen.

Other finishers include Dutch standouts Rutger Koppelaar and Menno Vloon with 5.73m.

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