After missing two of his events in June, Thomasian pole vaulter EJ Obiena bagged the gold medal in the Taby Stavhoppsgala event in Sweden on Wednesday, Philippine time.
The 26-year-old pole vaulter cleared 5.92 meters on his first match after being cleared from Covid-19.
Obiena was only 0.1 shy from tying his personal best and Asian record that he set during the Golden Roof Challenge in Austria last September 12, 2021.
Rio Olympics gold medalist Thiago Braz of Brazil placed second in the competition after jumping 5.82 meters while Norway’s Simen Guttormsen landed third after registering 5.72 meters.
Obiena eclipsed his season best record of 5.85 meters in Italy after his stint in the Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam where he won gold with a record of 5.46 meters.
Recently, the former UST Trackster was awarded the Outstanding Manilans for Sports during the 450th anniversary of the city.
Obiena’s next competition will be in Stockholm, Sweden for the Bahus Galan athletics event on June 30, 2022.
Obiena revealed he was diagnosed with Covid-19 on June 10 via an Instagram post. He mentioned his withdrawal from the Oslo Diamond League and Paris Diamond League for his home quarantine.
