Obiena tops Berlin field
Filipino pole vaulter Ernest John "EJ" Obiena won the gold medal at the ISTAF Berlin meet on August 31, clearing 5.82 meters at the Olympiastadion. The victory marked his ninth gold medal of the season and his fourth ISTAF Berlin title overall, adding to wins in the 2023 outdoor meet and the 2024 indoor edition, according to The Manila Times.
The competition, held at the iconic stadium, saw Obiena headline a strong field that included world No. 5 Sam Kendricks and No. 11 KC Lightfoot of the United States, as well as Germany's Bo Kanda Lita Baehre (No. 14) and Qatar's Seifeldin Abdelsalam (No. 15), as reported by Tiebreaker Times.
Podium and key results
Belgium's Ylio Philtjens finished second, clearing 5.72 meters, while France's Robin Emig took third after clearing the same height; Philtjens edged Emig on the countback, having needed fewer attempts, according to both reporting articles.
Near-Miss at World Championships Qualifying
While capturing the gold, Obiena was also aiming to exceed his own mark with a clear of 5.97 meters, a height that would have qualified him for the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest, scheduled for September 11-13. He failed in all three attempts, as noted in both sources, and consequently announced he will not participate in that event. "I did not make it," Obiena was quoted in an interview transcript provided by the Manila Times, stating he missed the 5.97 and thus would skip the Ultimate Championship. He added, "I started late, but I still have Brussels, I will go training now and I am looking for another competition. On the 20th of September I still have the Asian Games."
Mixed Feelings on Win
Despite the result, Obiena expressed frustration with the event's organization. During the same interview, he criticized the running of the competition, saying, "To be honest, it did not feel so good to win here. I would prefer not to win this way. There was a lot of action on the track and the other pole vaulters were not happy with that." He also acknowledged a season of adjustment, revealing in an interview that he had changed coaches in June and relocated to Athens, where he trains under the father of Greek vaulter and new Polish coaching figure Marcin Szczepanski, although specific details of his coaching lineage were not provided.
Next Steps
Looking ahead, Obiena will shift his focus to the upcoming Asian Games in September, where he intends to defend his pole vault title. His strong campaign this year has yielded nine gold medals and thirteen previous podium finishes, according to Tiebreaker Times, and he is expected to be among the favorites for the continental competition, though his preparation was acknowledged by through his comments about the late start.