Obiena pockets silver in France tilt ahead of Asian Championships
EJ Obiena boosted his preparations for the Asian Athletics Championships after pocketing a silver medal in the Meeting International de Sotteville in Rouen, France on Friday, July 7 (Saturday in Manila).
Obiena, who already punched a ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics, cleared 5.72 meters for his sixth straight podium finish since starting the outdoor season last month. Australian Kurtis Marschall captured the gold with a personal-best 5.95m, which was way above the Olympic qualifying standard of 5.82m, to secure his own slot to Paris in the process. He joins Obiena, world champion Armand Duplantis and Germany’s Bo Kanda Lita Baehre as early qualifiers. Hometown bet Baptiste Thiery finished with a similar 5.72m, but settled for the bronze medal via countback. After clearing 5.72m on his first attempt, Obiena tried 5.87m twice but was unsuccessful. He skipped his last attempt at the said height and moved to 5.92m, but still failed. Obiena’s recent performances is a good indication for his campaign at the Asian Championships, where he seeks to duplicate his feat in the 2019 edition in Doha, Qatar. Aside from clinching a second Olympic appearance, the 27-year-old Tondo native also boasts of becoming the only Asian in the six-meter club following his golden feat in the Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway last month. The Asian Championships is scheduled on July 12 to 16 in Pattaya, Thailand where Obiena will join 21 other Filipino athletes that include six-time Southeast Asian Games champion Eric Cray. Elimination in pole vault is set on July 13, with the finals on July 16.
*EJ Obiena is using his silver-medal finish as a springboard to his campaign at the Asian Athletics Championships slated next week. (File Photo)
*Obiena, who already punched a ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics, cleared 5.72 meters for his sixth straight podium finish since starting the outdoor season last month. Australian Kurtis Marschall captured the gold with a personal-best 5.95m, which was way above the Olympic qualifying standard of 5.82m, to secure his own slot to Paris in the process. He joins Obiena, world champion Armand Duplantis and Germany’s Bo Kanda Lita Baehre as early qualifiers. Hometown bet Baptiste Thiery finished with a similar 5.72m, but settled for the bronze medal via countback. After clearing 5.72m on his first attempt, Obiena tried 5.87m twice but was unsuccessful. He skipped his last attempt at the said height and moved to 5.92m, but still failed. Obiena’s recent performances is a good indication for his campaign at the Asian Championships, where he seeks to duplicate his feat in the 2019 edition in Doha, Qatar. Aside from clinching a second Olympic appearance, the 27-year-old Tondo native also boasts of becoming the only Asian in the six-meter club following his golden feat in the Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway last month. The Asian Championships is scheduled on July 12 to 16 in Pattaya, Thailand where Obiena will join 21 other Filipino athletes that include six-time Southeast Asian Games champion Eric Cray. Elimination in pole vault is set on July 13, with the finals on July 16.