FILE–EJ Obiena of the Philippines. –Photo: Fredrik Karlsson / BILDBYRÅN / COP 185 / JM0496
EJ Obiena’s warmup for the Asian Athletics Championships ended with a silver finish at the Meeting International de Sotteville in Rouen, France.
Obiena cleared 5.72 meters in another runner-up performance following his silver medal in the Bauhaus Galan in Stockholm, Sweden nearly a week ago where the Filipino pole vault celebrity booked a slot to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Australia’s Kurtis Marschall came through with the gold medal after hurdling 5.95m, which was way above the Olympic qualifying height of 5.82 to punch his own ticket to Paris in the process.
Marschall is now in the company of world champion Armand Duplantis, Germany’s Bo Kanda Lita Baehre and Obiena as early qualifiers in Paris.
Obiena will bring his poles to the Asian championships in Bangkok, Thailand with the continent’s record-holder of six meters scheduled to compete in the elimination round on July 13 ahead of the finals on July 16.
The 27-year-old from Tondo, Manila, who is based in Italy, is the only Asian in the six-meter club and qualified in his second straight Olympics after Tokyo 2021.
Thiery Baptiste of France also cleared 5.72m in Rouen, but was good for the bronze with Obiena clinching the silver on countback.
After leaping over 5.72 on his first try, Obiena made a failed attempt at 5.87 twice before opting to spend his last jump at 5.92.
With Obiena unsuccessful at the height, it paved the way for Marschall to cement victory following a 5.82 jump after three attempts.
Marschall went on to seal a new personal record of his own by clearing 5.95m.
Obiena, the world’s No. 3 vaulter, is riding on a medal streak for the past seven tournaments, claiming a pair of gold medals, two silvers and three bronzes.
He finally achieved a breakthrough at the Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway last month where Obiena hurdled six meters for the gold to join the elite six-meter club.