By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Two for two for Paris Olympics-bound EJ Obiena.
And the pride of Tondo did it in grand fashion by eclipsing the 26-year-old Asian indoor record in the ISTAF Indoor in Berlin, Germany on Friday, Feb. 23 (Saturday in Manila).
Emboldened by his golden performance in Croatia just three days back, the world No. 2 pole vaulter cleared 5.93 meters to shatter the old Asian mark of 5.92m posted by Kazakhstan’s Igor Potapovich at the GE Galan in Stockholm, Sweden in 1998.
Obiena’s performance also erased his own national indoor record of 5.91m posted at the Perch Elite Tour in Rouen, France in 2022.
That also bettered his 5.83m effort in topping the Memorial Josip Gasparac in Osijek, Croatia.
Obiena hurdled 5.56m and 5.82m with ease before clearing 5.93m on his second attempt. He tried to go 6.03m but was unsuccessful.
United States’ Tray Oates bagged the silver with 5.75m while Poland’s Robert Sobera clinched bronze with 5.66m via countback.
The tournament serves as a springboard for Obiena’s stint at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Glasgow, Scotland slated March 1 to 3 where he is expected to compete against his fellow world-class athletes that include world record holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden.
Duplantis broke through 6 meters for the first time this season at the All Star Perche event in France a few days ago.
