2 weeks Ago
After back-to-back podium finishes, EJ Obiena lost some steam as he wound up seventh in his title defense bid at the ISTAF Indoor Dusseldorf at the PSD Bank Dome in Germany on Sunday night. The Filipino pole vault ace made just one clearance throughout the tournament, soaring past 5.55 meters in one attempt but was unable to clear the next height at 5.
75m. Hometown bet Torben Blech of Germany ruled the event with 5.80-meter outing while multi-time Olympic medalist Sam Kendricks of USA bagged the silver with 5.
70m. Ersu Sasma of Turkey took home the bronze with a season-best 5.70 meters showing.
Obiena, who ruled ISTAF last year with then national and Asian records of 5.93 meters, was coming off a pair of medal outputs to open the new indoor season. He finished second at the International Jump Meeting Cottbus at the Lausitz-Arena in Germany late last month before clearing 5.
70 meters in the Meeting Metz Moselle Athlelor last Saturday to capture his first gold medal this year. Nonetheless, Obiena said the loss will only teach him lessons as he moves forward this year following a back injury that halted his activities last year. "Not how I wanted it to go.
Made one bar and sums up the whole competition. Taking the positives and the lessons to the next one," he said in an Instagram post. "We keep moving forward.
" —Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News.
