EJ Obiena resets Asian record at 6 meters, reigns in Norway tiff

Filipino Olympian and pole vaulter EJ Obiena reset the national and Asian records at six meters on Saturday at the Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway.

Obiena cleared the six-meter mark in just one attempt, allowing him to clinch the gold medal.

He tried to clear 6.06 meters but failed after three attempts.

Obiena now joins the elite six-meter club in pole vault, which includes Sam Kendricks, Sergey Bubka, and Olympic gold medalists Thiago Braz and Mondo Duplantis.

In Norway, the 27-year-old bested American KC Lightfoot, who cleared 6.0 meters in two attempts but failed to cross the 6.06-meter mark, and Kendricks, who registered 5.88 meters.

Obiena's previous personal best was 5.94 meters when he claimed bronze at the World Athletics Championships last year in Oregon, USA.

Last Wednesday, Obiena cleared 5.72 meters at the Irena Szewinska Memorial in Poland to share third place with Kendricks. — VBL, GMA Integrated News