EJ Obiena wins his first victory of 2023 with a gold medal in the Perche en Or indoor tournament in France.
Only three days after winning a silver medal in his opening tournament of 2023, EJ Obiena wins his first gold medal just two competitions into the season.
At the Perche En Or in Roubaix, France on January 28, the World No. 3 pole vaulter cleared a height of 5.82 meters on his first attempt.
This performance dominated the tournament.
As he holds the Asian record of 5.94 meters, Obiena went on to attempt 5.90 meters in France. However, he was unable to do so in his three attempts.
Still, he bested the other 12 athletes in the competition to take the gold medal.
Chinese pole vaulter Jie Yao finished second to the Filipino after recording 5.75 meters — a personal record for Yao. In third place came Ethan Cormont, who won the bronze medal with 5.65 meters.
As he is on the road to qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, an early victory sends his campaign in the right direction.
Banner image from EJ Obiena on Instagram.
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