After a nail-biting qualification round, EJ Obiena stayed alive in the men’s pole vault event to qualify for his second straight Olympics final!
EJ Obiena nearly suffered an early exit in the Paris 2024 men’s pole vault qualification. But, in true EJ fashion, he refused to back down and managed to keep his Olympic medal hopes alive! After clearing 5.75m, he finishes in seventh place to advance to the finals.
Competing in Group A of the qualification round, Obiena opened his campaign by passing on the initial 5.40m standard and going straight for the 5.60m for his first attempt of the day. Unfortunately, he dislodged the bar on his first try and suffered the same fate on his second.
On thin ice, EJ made the bold decision to pass on his third and final try at 5.60m and go straight for the next standard. A risk, with only one more chance to stay in the competition — but it would prove to be worth it, as he finally made his first successful attempt of the day to clear the 5.70m mark.
Regaining his confidence, the World No. 2 pole vaulter went on to make a clean 5.75m clearance.
As the other athletes in both Groups A and B slowly began to bow out of the competition as the qualification round went on, EJ’s overall performance landed him in seventh place, sending him to the finals of the men’s pole vault event.
Unsurprisingly, it was world record holder and World No. 1 pole vaulter Armand Duplantis who topped the event. Duplantis was followed by Sondre Guttormsen, who set his season best at 5.75m. They will be the top contenders as they head into the finals, scheduled on August 6, Tuesday at 1:00 A.M. Philippine time.
This will mark EJ Obiena’s second straight finals appearance at the Olympics.
Obiena has improved significantly since his last Olympics performance in 2021. Competing in the Tokyo Games, he finished 10th in the qualifiers, but ended the finals in 11th place. Now a more composed and experienced athlete, the Filipino is not only the World No. 2 pole vaulter, but he is also a member of the exclusive six-meter club. With this, he is poised for a podium finish.
Will he be able to land on the podium? Time will tell, as another Olympic final awaits Obiena!
Banner image from AFP.
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