EJ Obiena settles for bronze in Poland event   

Philippines’ EJ Obiena celebrates after winning the men’s pole vault final during the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) at the Morodok Techo National stadium in Phnom Penh on May 8, 2023. (Photo by MOHD RASFAN / AFP)

EJ Obiena touched off his Paris Olympics qualification buildup with a bronze medal in the Irena Szewinska Memorial in Bydgoszcz, Poland, feeling ready for the string of bigger meets that starts July and proud that the Philippine flag is present in the big international meets.

Needing to clear 5.92 meters to make it to the 2024 Games outright, the 27-year-old Obiena vaulted 5.72 to finish third behind the United States’ Chris Nilsen and the host country’s Piotr Lisek.

Nilsen ruled the Poland event with a 5.92-meter effort while Lisek cleared 5.82m for the silver medal.

“I just need to be ready by July and prepare myself for this year’s championships and (Olympic) qualifying tournaments,’’ said Obiena. “The plan is to qualify outright (to the Olympics) and I hope to make it before the Asian Games.”

That means that the world’s third-ranked vaulter is looking at clearing the required height at the Asian Athletics Championships in Pattaya, Thailand, on July 12 to 16 or at the 2023 World Athletics Championships on Aug. 19 to 27 in Budapest, Hungary.

The Asian Games is slated in Hangzhou, China, on Sept. 23 to Oct. 8.

“Big tournaments have not started yet, but the buildup and the European circuit have already begun. Good thing now is I am physically healthy,’’ said Obiena.