BUTUAN CITY – EJ Obiena made a triumphant return to the top podium with a season-best performance at the Orlen Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland, early Monday.
The 29-year-old Filipino pole vaulter cleared 5.80 meters on his third attempt to claim victory in the 11-man competition, which included notable athletes like Piotr Lisek, Sondre Guttormsen, Menno Vloom, and Huang Bokai. Lisek, a hometown favorite from Poland, secured the silver medal with a 5.70m clearance, while Norway’s Guttormsen also cleared 5.70m but finished third due to countback.
The win was a much-needed boost for Obiena, who had previously finished outside the top three in his last two events. At the ISTAF Indoor in Germany, he failed to defend his title, finishing seventh with a 5.55-meter clearance, followed by a ninth-place finish at the Meeting Hauts-de-France.
This victory marked Obiena’s second gold of the indoor season, after winning the Meeting Metz Moselle Athlelor with a 5.70-meter clearance, where he defeated Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Christopher Nilsen.
