EJ Obiena soared over 5.91 meters to capture the gold medal at the Golden Sand 2026 in Promenada Gwiazd, Miedzyzdroje, Poland, early Tuesday morning, Philippine time.
The world No. 13 Obiena not only dominated the field but also sent a strong message to two of the biggest threats to his bid for another Asian Games gold medal this September.
Qatar’s Seifeldin Abdelsalam, currently ranked No. 17 in the world, finished second but could only clear 5.75 meters. Saudi Arabia’s Hussain Al-Hizam registered 5.70 meters but lost the bronze medal via countback to Cole Walsh of the United States.
The 30-year-old Obiena — who now trains in Athens, Greece, under Polish coach Marcin Szczepanski — captured his eighth gold medal and 12th podium finish in 21 competitions this season.
This also marked the first time since the Paris Olympics in 2024 that Obiena cleared beyond 5.90 meters.
Obiena is aiming to return to the top eight in the world rankings to qualify for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships, a money-rich event set for September 11 to 13 in Budapest, Hungary.
