Pole vaulter EJ Obiena bags silver in Netherlands tilt ahead of Olympics

EJ Obiena continues to roll with less than 50 days left until his debut on the Olympics stage.

The Filipino pole vaulter bagged a silver medal in the 2021 FBK Games in Hengelo, Netherlands after clearing 5.80 meters in his first attempt, enough to finish second behind gold medal winner Armand Duplantis of Sweden.

Duplantis cleared 6.10 meters while hometown bet Menno Vloon, meanwhile, also cleared the 5.80-meter mark but in multiple attempts to settle for a bronze medal.

Obiena, who was the first Filipino to qualify for the Tokyo Games, surpassed his golden performance last week when he registered 5.70 meters in the Folksam Athletics Grand Prix to edge reigning Olympic champion Thiago Braz of Brazil.

Obiena is among the 10 Filipinos already secured of a berth in the quadrennial meet after Carlos Yulo (gymnastics), Hidilyn Diaz (weightlifting) and Eumir Marcial, Irish Magno, Carlo Paalam, Nesthy Petecio (boxing), Cris Nievarez (rowing), and Kurt Barbosa (taekwondo).

Skateboarder Margielyn Didal is also virtually qualified pending the official announcement from World Skate, the international organizing body for the sport.

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA News