EJ sets outdoor mark

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

May 8, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — World No. 4 pole vaulter EJ Obiena soared to set a personal outdoor season best clearance of 5.80 under challenging rain-induced conditions and topped the PATAFA-sanctioned Vermosa Sports Hub Invitationals at the Ayala complex in Imus, Cavite last Tuesday night. It was Obiena’s fourth outdoor appearance this year and marked a clear progression from 5.50 in Nantou, Taiwan to 5.62 in Xiamen and to 5.72 in Shanghai. The elevation matched his indoor season high of 5.80 set in Torun, Poland, last February.

Obiena’s all-time best records are 5.93 set in Berlin in February 2024 for indoor and 6.00 twice in 2023 for outdoor, first in Norway then at the World Championships in Bucharest.

At Vermosa, Obiena skipped the 4.95, 5.15, 5.25, 5.35 and 5.40 bars and went straight to 5.55 which he cleared in one try. Then, he skipped 5.60 and 5.65 to jump 5.70 in a single attempt. Obiena skipped 5.75 and made a friendly bet with his Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov he would clear 5.80. Obiena aborted his first attempt due to an abrupt approach then made it on his second try with relative ease. Petrov lost the bet and treated everyone at the event to Japanese dinner that night.

Obiena said the rains that drenched the track and pit made it a risky proposition. But he wanted to prove his progress to himself and put on a show before his father Emerson, mother Jeanette, sister Emily and the hometown crowd. “I adjusted my approach on my second try at 5.80,” he said. “There was a slight drizzle and we had about a 20-minute delay because of the rains.”

There were seven jumpers in the men’s event. Three tied for second with a clearance of 5,15 but after a countback, Taiwan’s Wu Yan Han settled for second, Hockett de los Santos third and Taiwan’s Huang Cheng Chi fourth. Fifth was Malaysia’s Muhammad Naufal Bin Shahrul. Elijah Cole finished sixth and Enzo Sison, seventh.

In the ladies event, Fil-Am Sports’ Amy Christensen took the gold with an elevation of 3.80. Alyana Nicolas came in second, Jessa Marie Libres third, Jia Kawachi fourth, Riezel Buenaventura fifth, Krizzie Ruzol sixth and Isabella Sta. Maria, seventh.