A bout with COVID-19 forced EJ Obiena to miss two tournaments, including the 2022 Wanda Diamond League leg in Paris, France.
The 26-year-old Olympian showed that he had fully recovered after stomping his ground with a new season’s best of 5.92 meters to take the gold in the Taby Stavhoppsgala 2022, Wednesday morning (Philippine time) in Taby, Sweden.
Obiena cleared the said height on his second attempt to rule a field of eight players, including his training partner and 2016 Olympic champion Thiago Braz. The result was just one centimeter below his personal best and the current Asian record of 5.93 meters.
With the gold in the bag, the reigning Asian champion attempted his first-ever clearance above six meters with 6.01, but could not make it over the bar.
Braz finished with silver with 5.82 meters, while Simen Gutormsen of Norway bagged the bronze with 5.72.
Obiena will stay in Sweden and will finally compete in a Diamond League when he takes on the Stockholm Leg of the said World Athletics top-tier competition.
