World No. 11 EJ Obiena bags his first gold of 2026, sharing top honors with Menno Vloon at the International Springer-Meeting Cottbus in Germany.
It didn’t take long for EJ Obiena to strike gold in 2026.
The Filipino pole vaulter cleared a season-best 5.77 meters to share the top honors with Menno Vloon of the Netherlands at the International Springer-Meeting Cottbus in Germany.
Obiena and Vloon were declared co-champions after both failed to clear 5.84 meters in a jump-off.
U.S. vaulter Sam Kendricks also cleared 5.77 meters but settled for bronze to complete the podium.
The win marked a strong start to Obiena’s season, following a 5.65-meter bronze at the ISTAF Indoor Düsseldorf just days earlier.
"First win of the season with a new season’s best of 5.77m. Brick by brick we build," Obiena wrote on social media after his latest conquest.
With two podium finishes in his first two competitions of the year, the 30-year-old is off to a promising start in 2026.
Obiena’s early-season success follows his fourth consecutive SEA Games gold last year, where he set a meet record of 5.70 meters while outlasting Thailand’s Amsamang Patsapong.
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.