EJ Obiena tops Olympic champ Braz anew for gold in Sweden
FILE — Philippines’ Ernest John Obiena competes in the men’s pole vault event during the Diamond League Athletics Meeting at The Louis II Stadium in Monaco on August 14, 2020. (Photo by Valery HACHE / POOL / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — EJ Obiena was at it again on Saturday with his latest feat in Sweden.
The Tokyo Olympian captured the gold medal in the 2021 Taby Stavhoppsgala Street Pole Vault in the Swedish capital of Stockholm.
Article continues after this advertisementObiena triumphed after clearing 5.80 meters as he topped reigning Olympic champion Thiago Braz of Brazil and Andrew Irwin of USA, who finished second and third, respectively.
Both Braz and Irwin also reached 5.80m but Obiena took the gold due to fewest failed attempts.
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Article continues after this advertisementThe second-generation star’s win came just two days after he reset the Philippine record with a jump of 5.87m for the silver medal in the Irena Szewinska Memorial Bydgoszcz event in Poland.
“Another 1st place finish, no rest for the determined,” Obiena posted on social media.
It was the second time in a month in which Obiena beat Braz for the top prize. Last month, Obiena outperformed Braz to cop the gold medal in the Folksam Athletics Grand Prix in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The two—who are also training partners—also shared the gold recently in the True Athletes Classics in Leverkusen, Germany.
