At the Mondo Classic in Sweden, EJ Obiena matched his personal indoor record — also the Philippine record — for a bronze-medal finish.
On Thursday, the world’s no. 3 pole vaulter cleared 5.91 meters on his third attempt at the Mondo Classic.
His performance in Sweden thus ties the Philippine indoor pole vault record of 5.91 meters, which he set in the Perche Elite Tour last March.
At the tournament, Obiena also attempted to clear 6.00 meters twice and 6.05 meters once. However, he still has yet to beat his current personal record.
Armand Duplantis — one of Obiena’s biggest competitors, and the athlete after whom the competition was named — finished with the gold medal. Additionally, he was able to set a meet record of 6.10 meters.
In second place came American KC Lightfoot, who also recorded a clearance of 5.91 meters, though it only took him two tries to do so, giving him the edge over the Filipino.
This bronze medal marks the Filipino Olympian’s third medal of the 2023 season thus far. In fact, he is currently three for three, as he won the silver medal in Germany to open the year, and a gold medal in France just last week.
With the fierce competition EJ Obiena faced at the Mondo Classic, this tournament was his first major test of 2023, and a solid step in his path to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Banner image from EJ Obiena on Instagram.
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