PARIS – Filipino pole vault sensation Ernest John Obiena improved on his Tokyo Olympics’ finish but still fell out of the podium in the 2024 Paris Olympics at the Stade de France on Monday (early Tuesday Philippine time).
The 28-year-old world no. 2, who placed 11th three years ago, narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal, finishing in fourth place.
After comfortably clearing the initial heights of 5.50m and 5.70m, he encountered a slight setback at 5.80m, a height that had previously proven challenging for him.
However, Obiena rebounded strongly, clearing 5.85m and 5.90m to position himself as a strong contender for a medal.
Unfortunately, he was unable to conquer the 5.95m bar in three attempts, ending his Olympic journey just short of the podium in the event won by Olympic champion Mondo Duplantis, who reset his own world record to 6.25 meters.
