By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
EJ Obiena returned to competition in style after sharing third place in the Athletissima Lausanne Wanda Diamond League Meeting in Switzerland on Wednesday, Aug. 21.
The world No. 3 pole vaulter cleared the bar at 5.82 meters along with Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen and Australia’s Kurtis Marschall in the elite tournament.
Like clockwork, two-time Olympic champion and world record-holder Armand “Mondo” Duplantis of Sweden ruled the event with a new meet record of 6.15m, eclipsing his previous mark of 6.10m set last 2022.
Paris Olympics silver medalist Sam Kendricks of the United States captured the silver with 5.92m.
Obiena passed the opening height of 5.35m as well as 5.52m by going straight to 5.62m which he cleared with ease.
He also passed 5.72m and cleared 5.82m on his first try, but had a hard time at 5.92m.
It was the first tournament for Obiena and the rest of the 11-player field since the Olympics, where the Filipino finished fourth — just a single jump shy of bronze medalist Emmanouil Karalis of Greece.
Karalis also posted 5.82m in this tournament, but settled for solo fourth after tiebreak.
French pole vaulters Thibaut Collet and Renaud Lavillenie followed suit with identical 5.72m marks, then Americans Jacob Wooten (5.62m), Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Chris Nilsen (5.52m) and local bet Valentin Imsand (5.35m).
