Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena recorded his best clearance of the year in Greece, soaring to 5.81 meters at the Fly Athens meet on July 5, 2026. This achievement comes as a promising sign of his return to form after a challenging few months.
A Step Closer to the Podium
I have not seen you, 5.80m bar, in a while…. I have missed you.
EJ Obiena, Filipino pole vaulter
Obiena's clearance of 5.81m, while not enough for a podium finish, showcased his improvement after a year marked by inconsistency. He finished fourth, narrowly missing bronze due to a countback against Greece's Emmanouil Karalis, who also cleared 5.81m but did so with fewer attempts.
- Obiena's previous best this year was 5.78m at the ISTAF Indoor in Germany.
- He recently secured back-to-back gold medals at events in Poland and Austria.
The competition in Athens featured notable athletes, including Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Chris Nilsen, who clinched gold with a height of 5.91m. Obiena currently ranks 14th in the world and is the only Asian athlete in the exclusive six-meter club.
This performance follows an eight-place finish earlier in the season at the Doha Meeting, where he recorded only 5.42m. His trajectory has shown steady improvement, with clearances of 5.64m and 5.72m in subsequent competitions.
With the next major events on the horizon, including the 2026 Asian Games, Obiena's recent performance in Greece may serve as a catalyst for his training and competition strategies moving forward.