Behind a season-best performance, Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena soared to another gold medal, this time at the ISTAF Indoor Berlin in Germany.
EJ Obiena continued his steady climb back to top form, soaring to gold with a season-best effort at the 2026 ISTAF Indoor Berlin in Germany.
The top Filipino pole vaulter cleared 5.78 meters to top the eight-man field, a strong follow-up to his gold-medal performance at the Asian Indoor Championships in Tianjin, China last month.
Norway’s Simen Guttormsen matched Obiena’s height of 5.78m but had to settle for silver due to a countback, while Menno Vloon of the Netherlands secured the bronze medal with a 5.70m clearance.
Both Obiena and Guttormsen attempted to raise the bar to 5.83m but failed to clear the height.
For Obiena, the victory marked another step in building momentum this season.
“Brick by brick, we build. Season’s best of 5.78m and a (gold medal) here… Thanks for having me, Berlin,” Obiena wrote on social media moments after clinching the win.
Germany’s Bo Kanda Lita Baehre also cleared 5.70m but finished just outside the podium on countback.
Czech Republic’s David Holy and Germany’s Torben Blech both managed 5.60m, while Latvia’s Valters Kreiss cleared the same height.
France’s Valentin Lavillenie rounded out the field with a 5.45m effort.
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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.