OLYMPIC MEDAL dream is still alive for prized Thomasian athlete EJ Obiena after piercing through the 2024 Paris Olympics men’s pole vault finals on Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Stade de France.
Asia’s best pole vaulter was on the verge of an early exit after failing in his first couple attempts, but Obiena got over the hump by clearing both 5.70 and 5.75 meters in one jump each.
After opting not to jump 5.40m, the Filipino Pride started off flat in his first two attempts as he clipped the bar at the top back-to-back in the 5.60m-mark.
Obiena, who holds a 6.0m personal record, chose to skip 5.60m to embark on his supposed last attempt to overcome 5.70m.
Filipino fans heaved a sigh of relief after Obiena banked on himself for the next height, going over the top of the 5.70m bar with a resounding roar as he dropped down the pit.
Gaining his rhythm back, the world’s no. 2 pole vaulter clutched up to surpass 5.75m, which placed him 7th out of 12 in the qualification round.
Obiena’s performance outclassed his effort during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he finished at the 11th spot.
The 28-year-old pole vaulter will look to jump even greater heights for the Philippines on Monday, Aug. 5, to win his first Olympic medal. F
