World No. 11 pole vaulter EJ Obiena finished fifth at the Perch’Xtrem meet in Caen, France, clearing 5.75 meters, ending his European tour before heading to the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tianjin on February 6-8.
Obiena cleared 5.50m, 5.65m, and 5.75m on his first attempts but failed three times at 5.84m, while US vaulter Zachery Bradford won with 5.90m.
Before Caen, Obiena earned bronze in Düsseldorf with 5.65m and shared gold in Cottbus at 5.77m.
In Tianjin, he will compete against top Asian pole vaulters, including Huang Bokai of China, Patsapong Amsam-Ang of Thailand, and Hussain Asim Al Hizam of Saudi Arabia, with Italian physiotherapist Christian Ferdinandi joining as coach.
Other Filipino athletes joining the championships include SEA Games gold medalists Hussein Lorana, John Cabang Tolentino, and Leonard Grospe, while distance runner Yacine Guarmali awaits his passport for participation.
Source: PhilNews24 | February 1, 2026
POLE VAULTER OBIENA GEARS UP FOR ASIAN INDOORS
Latest from Sport
Angeline Colonia won two silver medals in the women’s 48kg division of the 2026 IWF World
Team Pilipinas Enciende of Saint Pedro Poveda College achieved a major victory by winning gold at
The 6th Asian Beach Games concluded in Sanya, China, with a grand closing ceremony, marking the
Seoul Cycling Team topped Stage Two of the MPTC Tour of Luzon Team Time Trial in
Former world title challenger Giemel Magramo made weight after a second attempt to secure his fight