Thomasian pole vaulter EJ Obiena claimed his first medal of the year after securing bronze in the 2026 ISTAF Indoor Düsseldorf in Germany on Sunday, Jan. 25 (Manila time).
Obiena cleared 5.65 meters on his second attempt but failed to hurdle the 5.70-meter bar, settling for a podium finish.
The Netherlands’ Menno Vloon captured gold after clearing 5.75 meters, while American Sam Kendricks took silver with a 5.70-meter effort.
Vloon also competed in Obiena’s Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge in September last year, where the Filipino topped the field.
The competition marked Obiena’s first international outing since the 2025 SEA Games, where he delivered the Philippines’ fourth consecutive pole vault gold and reset the biennial meet record at 5.70 meters.
Obiena is ranked 11th in the men’s pole vault world rankings.
