Obiena regulates Sweden meets with 5.92m
MANILA, Philippines – After an attack with COVID-19, pole vaulter EJ Obiena made it to world number 6 that he would regain lost footing and return with a bang.
He did.
Obiena, 26, chose his season’s best performance and was very close to beating his personal best when he topped the Taby Pole Vault Gala in Täby, Sweden on Tuesday.
The Asian record holder and gold medalist in the Southeast Asian Games managed 5.92 meters, just one tenth of a meter from his best effort of 5.93 meters which he set at the Golden Roof Challenge in Innsbruck, Austria last year.
However, he darkened his season-high 5.85m which he registered at the L’Aquila stretch in the European City of Sports tournament in Italy in May last year.
Obiena dominated it over a seven-man field that included gold medalist Thiago Braz in Rio 2016 from Brazil and Simon Guttormsen from Norway, who finished second and third with 5.82 and 5.72 meters respectively.
Obiena tried to break the six-meter plateau by going for 6.01m but missed it.
But that was enough to restore Obienna’s self-confidence and put him back on track after he was derailed by covid-19 who made him miss two races.
Obiena later thanked a couple of Filipinos who came and cheered on him in Täby.
“To the two compatriots who came and watched and even asked if I wanted water or energy drinks, I feel your concern for me. Thank you very much, ”he said.