EJ Obiena finishes 4th in 2022 season opener
Ernest Martin Tuazon
Thomasian pole vaulter EJ Obiena officially kicked off his 2022 season as he barely missed a podium finish at the 2022 ISTAF Indoor in Berlin.
The Olympian cleared a maximum of 5.70 meters at his first event after being unable to clear the height of 5.81 meters in three attempts.
Obiena gained early momentum after he cleared the height of 5.40 meters in two tries, and 5.59 meters and 5.70 in one go, before being hurdled at 5.81 meters.
Swedish-American pole vaulter Armand Duplantis went home with a first place finish after he cleared 6.03 meters, a new ISTAF Indoor record.
American KC Lighfoot finished second as he vaulted for 5.92 meters, while German Oleg Zernikel successfully cleared 5.81 meters, a personal best.
Obiena was originally scheduled to open his season at the Init Indoor Meeting in Karlsruhe, Germany, but later on decided to withdraw from the competition as he needed more time to recover from the surgery in his right meniscus.
In the next weeks, Obiena will compete at the International Pole Vault Invitationals in Uppsala, Sweden, on Feb. 9, the Orlen Cup in Londz, Poland, on Feb. 11, the Meeting Hauts-De-France in Lievin, France, on Feb. 17, and Orlen Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland on Feb. 22.
