Obiena tops German tilt

Ernest John Obiena cleared 5.76 meters to win the Halberstadter Hohenflug — 1. Internationales Stabhochsprung-Meeting auf dem Domplatz in Germany on Saturday.

Obiena, 30, delivered back-to-back podium finishes as he prevailed in the 10-man tournament, continuing to find his footing in the outdoor season.

The Asian Games gold medalist had a chance to set a new season-best 5.90m but fell short after three attempts.

Seifeldin Abdelsalam of Qatar finished with the silver medal after clearing 5.66m, while Cole Walsh of the United States settled for the bronze despite also clearing the same height.

Obiena’s season-best remains the 5.85m he cleared at the Meeting Madrid in Spain last July, where he finished with a silver medal.

He also won the Raiffeisen Austrian Open early in July and the Czesław Cybulski Memoriał in Poland in late June.

Obiena now looks primed to compete in two major tournaments this year.

First is the Diamond League, with the Lausanne leg set to be held at the Pontaise Olympic Stadium in Switzerland.

He is gunning for a Top 6 finish in the series to qualify for the final in Brussels from 3 to 4 September.

Secondly, Obiena will defend his gold medal in the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, from 19 September to 4 October.

Obiena will enter Japan as the favorite to win his second straight title after setting a meet record of 5.90m at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.

In fact, he is one of the country’s top bets to win a gold medal in the Asian Games, along with gymnast Carlos Yulo, jiu-jitsu star Annie Ramirez, and boxers Nesthy Petecio, Aira Villegas, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial.