Obiena bags silver, Duplantis reigns in ISTAF Berlin meet
By Jerome Anhag
World №3 pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena added to his list of impressive podium finishes, clinching second place at the ISTAF Indoor Meet in Berlin, Germany on Friday, February 10 (Saturday, February 11, Manila time).
It was not long ago when Obiena, a former Electronics Engineering student of the University of Santo Tomas, affirmed to focus on more winning consistency this 2023 season, despite the turn of events in the past year such as the PATAFA issue.
The 27-year-old Filipino pole vaulter ended his streak of winning three consecutive gold medals after bowing down to Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis, who broke a meet record of 6.06 meters in the said event after clearing 5.60m, 5.82m, and 5.91m on his first attempts
World no. 1 Duplantis attempted to clear his personal world record of 6.20 meters via a 6.22m vault, which he faltered.
Like Obiena, Kurtis Marschall of Australia cleared the 5.82m vault, only to settle for a bronze finish as Obiena snagged for the silver medal due to the countback rule.
Meanwhile, despite consistent podium finishes and being named as one of the best pole vaulters in the world today, Obiena announced his withdrawal from the ongoing 2023 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan.
In a recent Instagram post, while the Filipino pole vaulter illustrated his physical and mental capabilities to compete for the said event, financial issues and logistical issues concerning his poles were a two-fold problem for his non-participation.
Fans and supporters of Obiena donated and pledged for his financial woes, but the Olympian refused their “bayanihan” despite showing appreciation towards their generosity. According to Obiena, it “doesn’t feel right to ask or accept kind donations at this time.”
