Filipino Olympian EJ Obiena fails to clear 5.82m, finishes last in France

Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena had a disappointing end to his indoor season, finishing last in the Meeting Hautes-de-France Pas-de-Calais on Thursday at Arena Stade Couvert de Liévin in France.

The Olympian, although ranked World No.3, he failed to clear 5.82 meters in three attempts, only managing to jump his opening height of 5.64 meters after two tries.

Obiena expressed his frustration with the result and bid farewell to his indoor season with a tweet, thanking his supporters and stating that he would be back to work.

On his Facebook, he wrote, “Well… That’s not how I wanted to end the indoor season. Only managed to jump my opening height. Hate the phrase “It is what it is” but IT IS what indeed IT IS. Bye indoor 2023 and back to work.”

“Thank you, everyone, for your support,” he added.

The world’s best pole vaulter, Mondo Duplantis of Sweden, once again proved his dominance by clearing 6.01 meters with ease. The talented athlete, who holds the world record of 6.18 meters, was in impeccable form as he cruised through his jumps.

Duplantis’ closest competitors, Claudio Stecchi of Italy, Kurtis Marschall of Australia, Jacob Wooten of the United States, and Christopher Nilsen of the United States, all cleared a height of 5.82 meters, resulting in a tie for second place. However, Stecchi clinched the silver medal by countback.

Obiena’s last-place finish ended his streak of podium finishes, which included a silver in the ISTAF Berlin meet, where he cleared 5.82m, coming in behind Duplantis’ 6.06.

The competition was a thrilling display of athleticism, and the athletes pushed themselves to the limit.

Despite not placing on the podium, EJ Obiena, the Filipino pole vaulter, gave it his all in his final indoor meet of the season.

He still had a successful indoor season, winning three golds in the Orlen Copernicus Cup, Perche En Or, and Orlen Cup.

However, Obiena had to skip the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Kazakhstan due to financial and logistical difficulties.

The tournament was held from February 18 to 20, and Obiena had expressed his disappointment at not being able to participate.

Despite this setback, Obiena remains focused on his training and future competitions.

He has his sights set on the upcoming outdoor season, which will include the Tokyo Olympics where he hopes to improve upon his seventh-place finish in the 2020 Summer Games.

Obiena has been training hard and seen in social media posts with his coach Vitaly Petrov, putting in the work necessary to achieve his goals.

For Duplantis, this latest win only solidifies his status as the top pole vaulter in the world.

The 23-year-old athlete has had a phenomenal career so far, breaking numerous records and setting the bar high for the rest of the competition

Obiena’s performances have made him a national icon in the Philippines, and he has become a source of inspiration for young athletes aspiring to compete at the international level.

With his hard work and dedication to his craft, Obiena is sure to continue making waves in the world of pole vaulting for years to come.