EJ Obiena cemented his position as one of the world’s top pole vaulters by capturing his third indoor title of the season on Thursday.
The World Athletics Indoor Tour event, the Orlen Copernicus Cup, was held at the Arena Toruń in Poland, and Obiena defended his title with an impressive performance.
Obiena, who is currently ranked as the world no. 3 pole vaulter, needed just two attempts to clear 5.87 meters and secure the victory. Despite missing his first attempt, he was able to clear the height on his second try, which was enough to beat the Netherlands’ Meno Vloon, who failed to clear 5.92 meters in two attempts.
With this win, Obiena is now five of five in competitions this season, finishing within the top three in each event.
The Asian record holder had a strong start to the competition, with one-time clearances at 5.62 and 5.77 meters after skipping the lower heights of 5.32, 5.52, 5.67, and 5.72 meters. This strategy allowed Obiena to conserve his energy for the higher heights, and he came close to setting a new personal best by attempting to clear 5.92 meters.
Although he was unable to clear the height, he still finished the competition with a solid performance.
However, Obiena ran out of time on his attempt at 5.95 meters, and he missed the height on both of his attempts. Despite this, he was still able to capture his second consecutive title in just five days in Poland, demonstrating his remarkable skill and dominance in the sport.
The silver medal went to Rutger Koppelaar of the Netherlands, who cleared 5.82 meters, while the bronze medal was won by Belgium’s Ben Broeders, who also cleared 5.82 meters. The medal was awarded to Broeders on a count back after he and Vloon both ended with their best jumps of 5.82 meters.
Obiena’s victory at the Orlen Copernicus Cup once again demonstrated his dominance in the pole vaulting world.
His impressive record of finishing within the top three in all of his competitions so far this season and his two consecutive victories in Poland are testaments to his skill and determination as an athlete.
