Ernest John Obiena competes in the men's pole vault finals of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on Monday. Antonin Thuillier, AFP

(2nd UPDATE) Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena just missed out on a podium finish in the 2024 Paris Olympics, placing fourth overall.

Obiena faulted three times at the 5.95-meter mark in the finals on Monday night at the Stade de France (early Tuesday in Manila) to bow out of contention for a medal. 

It was a heartbreaking result for Obiena, who started the final by comfortably clearing the 5.50-m and 5.70-m. He faulted for the first time at 5.80-m and opted to skip his next attempts.

EJ Obiena turns emotional after missing Paris 2024 podium: 'I came up short, I'm sorry'

Obiena proceeded to clear 5.85-m and 5.90-m, raising hopes that he could make it to the top three.

But the Filipino athlete faltered thrice at 5.95-m, gaining good height each time but clipping the bar on his way down. 

It is still an improvement from his 11th place finish in the Tokyo Games in 2021, but an Olympic medal remains elusive for Obiena. 

Sweden's Armand Duplantis lived up to expectations by retaining the gold medal in record-breaking fashion. "Mondo" easily cleared 5.70-m, 5.85-m, 5.95-m, and was the only vaulter to clear the six-meter mark in the final.

He proceeded to shatter the old Olympic record of 6.03-m, set by Brazil's Thiago Braz in Rio de Janeiro 2016, as he soared over the bar at 6.10-m. 

But Duplantis wasn't done. He had the bar raised to 6.25-m -- a new world record height. After faulting in his first two attempts, the Swede showed great composure in clearing the bar in his third and final try -- before rushing to the stands in elation and celebrating with his team.

Duplantis improved upon his own record of 6.24-m, which he set in April 2024.

Sam Kendricks of the United States took silver with a season-best of 5.95-meters. Greece's Emmanouil Karalis took bronze, clearing 5.90-m and faltering at 5.95-m, but opting to skip his next attempts before twice failing to clear six meters. 

For Kendricks, this is his second Olympic medal after winning bronze in Rio 2016, and a measure of redemption as he had missed the competition in Tokyo after testing positive for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, it is a first Olympic medal for Karalis, who was fourth in Tokyo.

Obiena had to overcome a nervy start to advance to the finals, having twice failed to clear 5.60-m in the qualifiers last Saturday.

With his Olympic hopes hanging in the balance, Obiena produced a clutch moment as he raised the bar to 5.70-m and cleared it to stay in the hunt.

READ: EJ Obiena overcomes slow start to advance to pole vault finals

READ: How EJ Obiena conquered nerves in pole vault qualifying

Obiena then soared over the bar at 5.75-m to secure his place in the finals along with 11 other vaulters.

The 28-year-old Obiena registered his season-best of 5.97-meters last June in Poland. 

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