Italy-based Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena shared third place honors with American KC Lightfoot during the Memorial Ireny Szewinska on Wednesday in Bydgoszcz in Poland.
Rated No. 3 in the world, Obiena soared past the bar with a 5.72-meter effort as the Manila-born competed for the first time since crushing the opposition in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia last month.
With his eyes on qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Obiena attempted to clear 5.82m but was unsuccessful in three tries.
Christopher Nilsen, rated No. 2 in the world behind Mondo Duplantis of Sweden, topped the tournament by vaulting to 5.92m while Polish entry Piotr Lisek settled for second with a 5.82m.
Jacob Wooten of the United States also posted 5.72m like Obiena and Lightfoot but lost via a countback to the two.
Emmanouil Karalis of Greece took sixth place over another Polish bet, Pawel Wojciechowski, via countback as both competitors did 5.62m.
‘Always a pleasure. Hopefully better jumps next time.’
Saudi Arabia’s Alhizam Hussain Asim, Robert Sobera, also of Poland, and Claudio Stecchi of Italy were all tied at eighth place with 5.42m, in the 10-man tournament.
Despite another top three finish, Obiena is far from satisfied.
“Always a pleasure. Hopefully better jumps next time,” Obiena said.
Obiena needs to clear 5.82m once during the Paris qualifying period which starts 1 July.
Next up for Obiena is the Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway on 10 June.
When he campaigned in the Tokyo Olympics, Obiena was a major disappointment after finishing 11th.
But his decision to be relocated in the Italian city of Formia almost a decade ago has been a gamechanger.
During the 2022 world championships in Eugene, Oregon, Obiena wound up third behind Duplantis and Nilsen.
