MANILA, Philippines — Philippine pole vault star EJ Obiena continued his impressive run on the international stage, capturing his second consecutive gold medal after winning the Stabhochsprung Meeting in Jockgrim, Germany on Wednesday.
The Filipino Olympian secured the gold through a countback after clearing 5.83 meters on his first attempt, edging Qatar’s Seifeldin Abdelsalam, who also cleared the same height but needed three attempts to do so.
Obiena had a shaky start, requiring two attempts to clear 5.45 meters, but quickly regained his rhythm by effortlessly soaring over 5.60 meters and 5.70 meters.
As the competition intensified, only three athletes remained in contention for the title—Obiena, Abdelsalam, and Türkiye’s Ersu Sasma.
Both Abdelsalam and Sasma successfully cleared 5.77 meters, while Obiena strategically passed that height. Sasma also opted to skip 5.83 meters, leaving Obiena and Abdelsalam to battle for the lead.
The Filipino ace made the decisive clearance at 5.83 meters on his opening attempt, while Abdelsalam needed all three attempts, giving Obiena the advantage heading into the final height.
All three competitors then attempted to clear 5.93 meters, but none succeeded, officially handing Obiena the gold medal via countback.
The victory marked Obiena’s second straight title in Germany after he also topped the Internationales Stabhochsprung-Meeting auf dem Domplatz earlier this month.
The triumph is Obiena’s seventh gold medal of the 2026 season, further cementing his status as one of the world’s premier pole vaulters as he continues his remarkable campaign on the international circuit. — LeonidasA
