Team Philippines’ EJ Obiena competes in the men’s pole vault qualification at the Paris Olympics 2024, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
MANILA, Philippines—Team Philippines’ EJ Obiena overcame a shaky start to secure his spot in the Paris Olympics 2024 men’s pole vault final on Saturday.
Obiena moved on to the final of the men’s pole vault for his second straight Olympics stint after clearing 5.75 meter, good for the seventh seed overall and sixth in Group A.
Only the Top 12 after qualifications earned a seat in the medal round. The final is set for August 6 at 1 am (Philippine time).
However, getting there was no easy task for Obiena, who came within one failed jump of bowing out of the medal race.
Obiena, alongside Mondo Duplantis of Sweden and Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis, skipped the starting 5.40m height and opted to start his jump at 5.60.
Team Philippines’ EJ Obiena prepares to compete in the men’s pole vault qualification of the athletics event at the Paris Olympics at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 3, 2024. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP)
But the world No. 2 pole vaulted initially struggled to hurdle the 5.60m clearance, failing in his first two attempts. In pole vault, participants are only allowed three tries at clearing each height.
Instead of going for a third attempt at 5.60m, Obiena moved on to the 5.70m bar and cleared it to get back in contention.
Doubling down after a successful leap that got his rhythm going, Obiena easily cleared 5.75m virtually securing his berth in the Final 12.
Ten pole vaulters from Group A advanced while, in a more grueling Group B, only two moved on in the final phase in the form of China’s Bokai Huang and Oleg Zernikel of Germany.
Joining Obiena, who finished 11th in the Tokyo Olympics, in the final phase is world No. 1 Duplantis and No. 3, Sam Kendricks.