EJ Obiena collected a second consecutive gold in record-smashing fashion after taking the 2022 Gala dei Castelli with 5.81 meters, Monday at the Bellinzona Municipal Stadium in Switzerland.
This is Obiena’s eighth first-place finish in this half of the season that included a win in the Memorial Van Damme, where he took down world champion Armand Duplantis. The 26-year-old just won the Golden Fly Series leg in Liechtenstein the previous day.
The world no. 3 pole vaulter zoomed to a share of second place when he took care of 5.61 meters on his second try, with USA’s Christopher Nilsen just ahead on a one-time clearance of the height.
Nilsen held on to the lead at 5.71 meters, but Obiena had a chance of taking over after passing at the said height.
The University of Santo Tomas product then grabbed this opportunity at the next height of 5.81. Nilsen missed the height on his three attempts, allowing Obiena to take the win after two tries and setting a new meet record in the process.
