EJ Obiena starts year strong with silver finish at International Springer-Meeting

EJ Obiena at the 19th Internationales Springer-Meeting at the LausitzArena in Cottbus, Germany. Screengrab from event live stream.

Ernest John “EJ” Obiena started the year strong with a silver finish at the 2023 Internationales Springer-Meeting in Cottbus, Germany, which resumed live games after a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The World No. 3 pole vault champion from the Philippines reached a height of 5.77 meters on his first attempt to take the No. 2 spot on the podium in the Indoor season opener on January 25 (January 26, Philippine time).

Obiena had first passed 5.50m on his third try, 5.67m also on his first vault, and almost cleared 5.82m on his third attempt to tie with America’s two-time world champion Sam Kendricks who took the gold in the 10-man competition. Belgium’s Ben Broeders took the bronze with 5.72m.

The Cottbus event is the Filipino athlete’s first event for the year following historic medal wins in 2022 such as his bronze finish at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon which established a new Asian Record at 5.94 meters, and his upset win over world record holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden at the Brussels Diamond League.

EJ Obiena is set to lead the Philippine team participating at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in February to be held in Kazakhstan.

SEND CONGRATULATIONS in the comments below to EJ Obiena for his strong start of the year with a silver from the Internationales Springer-Meeting in Germany and WATCH his vaults in the video here:

EJ Obiena @ejobiena starts the year strong in No. 2 spot on the podium of the International Springer Meeting in Cottbus, Germany #Filipino #polevault @GoodNewsPinas_ https://t.co/ZQVQ8lNDVJ pic.twitter.com/TBWpI1Zus5

— Angie Quadra-Balibay (@AngieQBalibay) January 27, 2023

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