Ernest John Obiena’s return to outdoor competition didn’t go as planned as came up with a forgettable performance in the men’s pole vault event of the Xiamen Diamond League late Saturday at the Xiamen Egret Stadium in China.

The two-time Olympian posted a sluggish 5.62 meters for a seventh-place finish in the prestigious tourney graced by some of the best pole vaulters in the world.

He tried to get past the 5.72 barrier thrice but couldn’t get the job done, leaving him bowing out in the event greatly dominated by world record-holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden.

Duplantis, the gold medalist in the Paris Olympics, submitted a commanding 5.92 meters while Greek rising star Emmanouil Karalis bagged the silver medal over Menno Vloon of the Netherlands via countback despite posting 5.82 meters.

It was such a heartbreaking campaign for the 29-year-old Filipino who left no stone unturned in coming up with a solid performance in his outdoor campaign following a fourth-place finish in the Paris Olympics last year.

Still, Obiena has a chance to bounce back as he competes in the Shanghai leg of the Diamond League next weekend for a chance to emerge as one of the six vaulters who will advance to the Diamond League finale in Zurich, Switzerland from 27 to 28 August.

Aside from the two legs of the Diamond League in China, Obiena is also gearing up for the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea from 27 to 31 May.

There, Obiena will be gunning for a third straight gold medal after winning it in 2019 in Doha and in 2023 in Bangkok.

Due to his campaign overseas, Obiena won’t be able to make it to the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships that will be held at the New Clark City Stadium in Capas, Tarlac from 1 to 4 May.