Obiena flies to ninth gold, rules ISTAFF Berlin
MANILA, Philippines — Asian pole vault champion EJ Obiena collected his ninth gold medal of the year after he topped the ISTAFF Berlin with 5.82 meters at the Olympiastadion in Germany Monday.
It was the fourth win by the 30-year-old Tondo, Manila native here in Berlin after ruling the indoor event last March, outdoor three years ago and indoor the following year.
But he missed 5.97m in three tries that would have sealed him a seat to the World Athletics Ultimate Championship slated September 11-13 in Budapest, Hungary, had he cleared it.
It would also have been his best effort this season had he made it.
Obiena vowed to accomplish it in his next meet in Brussels, Belgium that could be one of his last, if not the last, competitions before plunging into action in the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan starting September 20.
Obiena just had a 5.90m in Zurich, Switzerland a few days before that booked him a ticket to the World Championship.
While it fell a hairline short of replicating his season-best 5.91m in Miedzyzdroje, Poland two weeks ago, Obiena has shown signs he’s improving and ready to reclaim his old spot at World No. 2 that he last held two years ago.
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