MANILA, Philippines — EJ Obiena cleared 5.80 meters for the first time this season but finished outside the medals at the Fly Athens Street Pole Vault tournament held at Panathenaic Stadium in Greece.
Obiena tied for fourth place after clearing 5.80 meters, finishing alongside the Netherlands’ Menno Vloon, Turkey’s Ersu Şaşma and France’s Baptiste Thiery, who reached the same height.
Despite missing the podium, the Filipino Olympian welcomed the result after surpassing the 5.80-meter mark for the first time this year.
“I have not seen you 5.80m bar in a while… I have missed you,” Obiena wrote on Instagram. “I have vaulted in lots of different venues but this is just pure picturesque. Vaulting in front of the Panathenaic Stadium is a day to remember.”
The competition came after Obiena won consecutive gold medals in meets in Austria and Poland.
American vaulter Christopher Nielsen claimed the gold medal after clearing 5.91 meters on countback, while France’s Thibaut Collet finished second.
Host athlete Emmanouil Karalis also cleared 5.80 meters and secured the bronze medal on countback.