Thomasian pole vaulter EJ Obiena returned to the top of the podium, capturing his ninth gold medal of the season after winning the ISTAF Berlin with a 5.82-meter clearance in Germany on Tuesday, Aug. 31 (Philippine time).
Obiena entered the meet fresh from a fifth-place finish in Switzerland that secured his spot in the 2027 World Athletics Championships. That result marked his second straight meet without a podium finish following a three-meet gold-medal streak.
In Berlin, Obiena passed on the first two heights before clearing 5.62 meters on his second attempt. He then cleared 5.82 meters before failing all three attempts at 5.97 meters.
Belgium’s Ylio Philtjens and France’s Robin Emig both cleared 5.72 meters, but Philtjens took silver after fewer attempts.
Obiena is ranked No. 12 in the world in the men’s pole vault. Allanee Raye C. Valeriano
