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By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
The second has lastly arrived for EJ Obiena,
On one other thrilling Sunday (Monday in Manila) on the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Obiena made historical past after capturing a bronze medal in report vogue, a efficiency that trended instantly on social media.
Obiena may have introduced house a silver medal, however sadly, he misplaced to American Chris Nilsen on countback after each sailed over 5.94m with nary a bother.
In doing so, the 26-year-old Obiena, who was a dispappointment in the course of the Tokyo Video games final yr, eclipsed his personal PH and Asian mark of 5.93 set within the seventeenth Golden Roof Problem in Innsbruck, Austria final yr.
However the day merely belonged to Swede Mondo Duplantis as he confirmed why he’s one of many world’s most recognizable athletes by clearing 6.21m with ease to finish his medal assortment, having received the gold Olympic final yr.
That bettered by 1cm his earlier finest set when he humbled the sector on the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade in March.
What made the feat additional particular was that he grew to become the primary Filipino to make it to the rostrum of the celebrated event.
At one level, Obiena led the sector together with coaching companion, 2016 Rio Olympics champion Thiago Braz of Brazil, after Duplantis and Nilsen wanted two makes an attempt to clear 5.87m.
Obiena’s feat was his eighth podium end this yr – together with 5 gold medals. His final golden end got here on the Soar and Fly Meet in Hechingen, Germany final July.
With this achievement, Obiena additional boosted his medal marketing campaign within the 2024 Paris Olympics, the place he goals to grow to be the primary Filipino to win an Olympic medal since Miguel White received the bronze within the males’s 400m hurdles of the 1936 Berlin Video games.
It additionally bolstered his preparations for the delayed nineteenth Asian Video games scheduled subsequent yr in Hangzhou, Asia the place he additionally seeks to finish a gold-medal drought in athletics.
The final time athletics went house with an Asian Video games gold medal was in 1986 when Lydia de Vega retained her girls’s 100m sprint title.
BEST IS YET TO COME
However Obiena is just not contended with the bronze, saying “The most effective is but to return.”
“Philippines is the perfect in Asia for pole vault. And third finest on this planet. Hungry for extra cookie,” Obiena stated in a social media submit.
The Philippine Sports activities Fee (PSC) additionally congratulated Obiena for his record-breaking present.
Even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was elated with Obiena’s newest achievement.
“President Bongbong Marcos additionally stated in Malacañang that whatever the coloration of the medal, he’ll at all times be pleased with the performances of the nationwide athletes in worldwide competitions since they’re representing the nation,” stated PSC Officer-in-Cost Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr.
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