By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Some good things never last.
This came after pole vaulter EJ Obiena missed the podium, finishing fourth in the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix at the Bregyo Athletic Center in Szekesfehervar, Hungary Monday.
After three successive podium finishes, including in last month’s World Championships in the US, Obiena, now ranked No. 3 in the world, cleared only 5.45 meters and wound up a far fourth in a star-studded event.
Like in his last two tournaments, it was Tokyo Games winner Mondo Duplantis of Sweden who topped the event in record fashion.
Also the winner in the World Championships, Duplatis soared over 5.80m to set a new meet record.
Veteran Renaud Lavillenie of France bagged the silver (5.70m) while another Frenchman in Thibaut Collet claimed the bronze (5.60m).
It was Obiena’s second tournament in three days after a strong third place-finish in the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Chorzow, Poland and World Championships – the last one saw him shatter his own Asian and PH mark of 5.93 meters after logging 5.94.
In all, Obiena has competed in eight outdoor tournaments since May, six of which he made it to the podium.
