EJ Obiena wins bronze in Diamond League

Ernest John “EJ” Obiena achieved another feat as he became the first Filipino to land a podium finish in the Diamond League held in Monaco.

The Olympic-bound athlete won the bronze medal in the men’s pole vault event after clearing his season-best 5.70-meter mark.

“This is a significant event for the Philippines because for the first time, a Filipino pitted against the world’s bests and got a podium finish,” a grateful Obiena said in a Facebook post.

“I will try to keep doing better and carry the flag proud.”

Sweden’s Armand Duplantis recorded at 6.00 meters for the gold medal, while Belgium’s Ben Broeders settled for silver with 5.70 meters.

Earlier this month, Obiena won a silver medal in the International Triveneto Meeting in Trieste, Italy, where he cleared the 5.45-meter mark.

Obiena is the first Filipino athlete to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, which has been postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. – Justin Kenneth Carandang/RC, GMA News