KRISTEL SATUMBAGA

Pole vaulter EJ Obiena got his redemption by winning the gold medal in the Jump & Fly meet in Hechingen, Germany Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

Obiena cleared the bar after soaring to a distance of 5.80-meters to humble the field that included China’s Huang Bokai and hometown bet Vincent Hobbie, who finished second and third, respectively.

Huang posted 5.50m while Hobbie finished with 5.10m.

This was Obiena’s sixth title win this year.

His biggest win so far was the Taby Stavhoppsgala in Sweden last week where he cleared 5.92m – just 0.01m short of his current Asian record.

It was also a slight improvement of his Bauhaus-Galan Wanda Diamond League performance in Stockholm, Sweden where he hurdled 5.73m. in the event won by world record holder and Olympic champion Armand Duplantis of Sweden.