By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
EJ Obiena showed he’s now in peak form in time for next month’s 2024 Paris Olympics after capturing the gold medal with new meet and stadium records in the Czesław Cybulski Memorial at the Poznań Golęcin Athletics Stadium in Poznan, Poland on Sunday, June 23.
The world No. 2 pole vaulter cleared the bar at 5.87 meters to win the event, eclipsing the meet record of 5.80m posted by local bet Piotr Lisek last year.
He also erased the stadium record of 5.80m also registered by Lisek in 2021.
Lisek, a three-time world indoor championship medalist, matched his season-best 5.82m for the silver medal, while Hussain Asim Al-Hizam of Saudi Arabia bagged the bronze with his own season-best 5.62m.
Obiena started his campaign with a flawless 5.62m clearance and followed it up at 5.77m.
Lisek, who had earlier cleared 5.72m, attempted to take the lead by clearing 5.82m on his second attempt but Obiena, saving his energy for higher heights and confident of his chances, went for 5.87m which he cleared with ease.
Lisek tried to match Obiena at 5.87m but failed.
With the gold under his bag, Obiena tried to break his Asian record of 6.00m by attempting to clear 6.01m but was unsuccessful.
“Back to back competitions in Poland [were] definitely a blast! Thank you Poznan for the great time,” Obiena wrote on social media moments after his win.
He was referring to his golden performance at the 6th Irena Szewinska Memorial in Bydgoszcz three days ago where he registered a season-best 5.97m.
