EJ Obiena, the Filipino pole vault star, fulfilled his long-term aspiration by soaring over six meters during a prestigious competition in Europe, catapulting him into an elite group of athletes only a handful of men have ever joined. Despite his historic triumph during the Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway, Obiena remains focused on the process he has been preparing for years. He recently reminisced on his journey, indicating that it all began with a dream to jump over five meters.
Notably, Obiena set new Asian and Philippine records when he attained his remarkable feat and became the 24th person of all-time, and the first-ever from Asia and the Philippines, to transcend the six-meter barrier. His victory also brought him to the same 6-meter club as iconic pole vaulter Sergey Bubka, as well as the current Olympic champion and world record holder, Armand Duplantis.
The 27-year-old athlete, who has been successfully training with his longtime coach Vitaly Petrov, succeeded in clearing the bar with ease, beat his chest upon landing, and hugged Petrov tightly. Obiena expressed his gratitude to the renowned Ukrainian coach, acknowledging that he couldn’t have done it without him.
Although Obiena shares a proud moment with Petrov, the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) leadership declares that they believe he can do even better in the future, with his continuous training and competing abroad. In particular, Tery Capistrano, the athletics chief, commented that “there is still a lot of work to be done in order for him to get to where he should be. He has been working hard and smart to get to 6m.”
Obiena and KC Lightfoot of the United States both raised the bar at 6.06m during the competition, but failed to hurdle it. Duplantis, who currently holds the world record of 6.23m, seems to be incredibly far from the reach of the rising Filipino star; yet, hurdling six meters has positioned Obiena as a legitimate threat to the world champion.
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