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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider EJ Obiena captures bronze in Beijing tilt

EJ Obiena captures bronze in Beijing tilt

Published Sep 8, 2025 02:43 pm

At A Glance

  • The two-time Olympian cleared the bar at 5.65 meters for the podium finish, settling behind local bet Tao Zhong and American Cole Walsh.
Another podium finish for EJ Obiena. (File Photo/AP)
Another podium finish for EJ Obiena. (File Photo/AP)
EJ Obiena returned to action with a bang after capturing the bronze medal in the World Athletics Continental Tour in Beijing, China over the weekend.
The two-time Olympian cleared the bar at 5.65 meters for the podium finish, settling behind local bet Tao Zhong and American Cole Walsh.
Zhong and Walsh posted identical 5.75m meters, but the former Chinese indoor champion bagged the gold medal via countback.
It was Obiena’s first tournament since seeing action last July, where he finished with a silver medal in the Meeting Madrid 2025 in Spain with 5.80m.
It was also Obiena’s ninth podium finish this year.
Though it was a far cry from his season-best 5.80m and personal-best 6.00m that served as a Philippine and Asian record, the podium finish was enough to bolster his campaign in the World Athletics Championships slated on Sept. 13 to 21 in Tokyo, Japan.
The men’s pole vault qualifications is set Sept. 13, with the finals scheduled on Sept. 15.
Obiena, 29, hopes to either duplicate or surpass his historic performance in the 2023 edition held in Budapest, Hungary where he claimed the silver medal by posting 6.00m behind world No. 1 and world record-holder Armand Duplantis (6.10m).
Meanwhile, former Asian champion Robyn Brown is joining Obiena in the world championships, marking her second appearance in the tournament where she is set to compete in the women’s 400m hurdles.
The qualification is set on Sept. 15, followed by the semifinals on Sept. 17 and finals on Sept. 19.
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