Pole vaulter EJ Obiena (File photo)
MANILA — EJ Obiena made history on Saturday when he became the first Asian pole vaulter to clear the six-meter mark en route to winning the Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway.
He did it in his first attempt, which gave him the victory over American KC Lightfoot, who also cleared six meters but needed two attempts.
Both Obiena and Lightfoot still tried to go 6.06, but no one was able to clear the height.
"It took a few moments to sink in. But when it did, tears began to fall, there was no greater shoulder to cry on than my coach, Vitaly [Petrov]. Couldn’t have done it without [him]," Obiena posted on Facebook, referring to his 85-year-old Ukrainian mentor who has produced a world champion in Sergey Bubka and Olympic gold medalist Thiago Braz.
Sam Kendricks sealed the 2-3 finish for the United States as he took the bronze after reaching 5.88 meters.
Obiena's performance was a major breakthrough for the 27-year-old Filipino, who has been one of the world's top pole vaulters for several years.
He will cap his three-leg European campaign at the Oslo Bislett Games, also in Norway, on June 15.
Currently ranked third in the world, he will try to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics this year by raking in ranking points, starting with the Asian Athletics Championships in Pattaya, Thailand on July 12 to July 16. (PNA)
