Obiena fails to enter World Championships final

Pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena failed to enter the final of the World Athletics Championships after bombing out of the qualifying round at the National Stadium in Tokyo on Saturday.

The 29-year-old Obiena was only able to get as high aa 5.55 meters as he wasn't able to join the top 12 athletes for the final on Monday.

Making the cut were Paris Olympics bronze medalist Emmanouil Karalis of Greece, Paris Games silver medalist Sam Kendricks of the United States, Sondre Guttormsen of Norway, Kurtis Marschall of Australia, Ersu Sasma of Turkey and Menno Vloon of the Netherlands.

Completing the cast are Seifeldin Heneida Abdesalam of Qatar, Ethan Cormont, Thibaut Collet and 2012 London Olympics champion Renaud Lavillenie of France, Bo Kanda Lita Baehre of Germany and world record holder Armand Duplabtis of Sweden.

Obiena got a bronze medal in the 2022 edition in Eugene, Oregon before clinching a silver medal in Budapest in 2023.