PARIS (Via PLDT Home) –Without a hitch, Ernest John “EJ” Obiena, hoisted himself in the air, clearing 5.75 meters in one attempt on Saturday at the Stade de France to earn a seat in the men’s pole vault finals of the Paris Olympic Games.
Eleven others who jumped the same height joined the 28-year-old Obiena in the championship round slated on Aug. 6.
Obiena’s liftoff went smoothly. When he landed, he quickly picked himself from the mat as he continued his hunt for a medal which eluded him in the Tokyo Olympics.
The world no. 2 pole vaulter let out a loud roar after landing and later gave a friend, Emmanouil Karalis a fist-bump when he strutted his way out of the field.
He joined world champion Armand Duplantis in the final round, after the Swede first jumped 5.6 meters in one try and 5.8 meters in the second.
Obiena’s performance allowed him to go past the 5.70-meter jump, which gave him an 11th place performance back in the Tokyo games.
Also qualifying in Group B with Obiena and Duplantis, after clearing the same height were Sondre Guttormsen of Norway, Karalis, Turkish Ersu Sasma, Menno Vloon of the Netherlands, Sam Kendricks of the United States and Bo Baehre of Germany.
Oleg Zernickel of Germany and China’s Huang Bokal also made it to the finals.
