Philippines' Ernest John Obiena competes in the men's pole vault final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 3, 2021. Ben Stansall, AFP
Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena took top honors in the True Athletes Classic 2022 meet, held Sunday in Leverkusen, Germany.
Obiena cleared 5.81-m on his second try, enough to win the gold over Rutgar Koppelaar of the Netherlands and Kurtis Marschall of Australia.
Both Koppelaar and Marschall also cleared 5.81-m on their second try, but faulted in their previous vaults whereas Obiena needed just one attempt to clear 5.63-m.
The Filipino athlete attempted to set a new personal best but faltered thrice at the 5.95-m mark.
The gold in Leverkusen continues a string of good results for Obiena, who won bronze in the World Athletics Championships in Oregon in July where he set a new Asian record of 5.94-m.
He followed it up with a third place finish in the Silesia leg of the 2022 Wanda Diamond League, then won the 26th Internationales Stabhochsprung-Meeting in Jockgrim, Germany last week.
Before the True Athletes Classic event, Obiena had placed third at the Athletissima in Lausanne.
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