EJ Obiena lands 4th in final tune-up before Paris Olympics
Photo from ernestobienapv/Instagram
In his last competitive outing before the Paris Olympics, Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena finished in a tie for fourth place at the Meeting de Paris in France on July 7.
Obiena achieved a mark of 5.75 meters, matching the performance of Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis.
Despite this setback, the Filipino Olympics-bound star shared his gratitude and determination in an Instagram post featuring a video of his vault: “Merci Paris. 5.75m here in @meetingparis. Another joint finish with @manolo.” The song for the background music he used was titled, “Trust the Process.”
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Karalis even humorously commented, “I love u so much I had to place the same as you,” with a wacky emoji.
The 28-year-old athlete’s efforts to secure a podium finish in the tournament, where some of the best pole vaulters in the world convened, were thwarted after he failed to clear heights of 5.85 meters in two attempts and 5.95 meters on his final try.
Reigning Olympic champion Armand Duplantis of Sweden continued his streak of excellence by claiming his 10th gold medal of the year with a 6.00-meter jump. American vaulter Sam Kendricks secured the silver medal with a season-best jump of 5.95 meters, while France’s Thibaut Collet earned the bronze with a jump of 5.85 meters.
Though Obiena did not reach the podium, his focus remains unwavering as he prepares for the upcoming Olympic Games. He is poised for a strong performance in Paris, given his high global ranking and recent achievements, including his first gold medal in the US at the USA Track and Field Los Angeles Grand Prix.
After his overall 2023 stint, the internationally renowned athlete continued to defy gravity and expectations as he finished the year with a score of 1,443 to remain number two in the world rankings, just 133 points shy of world No. 1 Duplantis.
Furthermore, just last month, Obiena achieved consecutive podium finishes for the first time this outdoor season, claiming victory at the Memorial Czeslawa Cybulskiego.
“Back to back competitions in Poland was definitely a blast!!!” he wrote. “5.87m here in @memorialcybulskiego for the [gold] with a bonus meeting and stadium record. Thank you Poznan for the great time.”
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As the Olympic Games draw near, anticipation builds around Obiena’s potential to make history and bring pride to the Philippines on the world stage.
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