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Obiena resets 26-year-old Asian indoor record in ISTAF Berlin

Sports

Obiena resets 26-year-old Asian indoor record in ISTAF Berlin

By Kristel Satumbaga-Villar

At A Glance

Olympian EJ Obiena soared to another gold medal by eclipsing the 26-year-old Asian indoor record in the ISTAF Indoor in Berlin, Germany on Friday, Feb. 23 (Saturday in Manila).

Olympian EJ Obiena soared to another gold medal by eclipsing the 26-year-old Asian indoor record in the ISTAF Indoor in Berlin, Germany on Friday, Feb. 23 (Saturday in Manila).

Screen Shot 2024-02-24 at 12.35.16 PM.png — EJ Obiena resets his own national indoor record while also posting a new Asian indoor mark at the ISTAF Indoor in Berlin, Germany. (ISTAF Indoor Twitter)

The world No. 2 pole vaulter, still fresh from his golden performance in Croatia a few days back, cleared 5.93 meters to shatter the old Asian mark of 5.92m posted by Kazakhstan’s Igor Potapovich at the GE Galan in Stockholm, Sweden in 1998.

Obiena’s performance also erased his own national indoor record of 5.91m posted at the Perch Elite Tour in Rouen, France in 2022 and also registered a season-best feat since starting his campaign at the Memorial Josip Gasparac in Osijek, Croatia with a 5.83m mark.

Obiena cruised over at 5.56m and 5.82m with ease before clearing 5.93m on his second attempt. He tried the elusive 6.03m mark but was unsuccessful.

United States’ Tray Oates bagged the silver with 5.75m while Poland’s Robert Sobera clinched bronze with 5.66m via countback.

The tournament serves as a springboard for Obiena’s stint at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Glasgow, Scotland slated March 1 to 3 where he is expected to compete against his fellow world-class athletes that include world record holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden.

Duplantis broke through 6 meters for the first time this season at the All Star Perche event in France a few days ago.

Related Tags

istaf indoor berlin EJ Obiena

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