Team Philippines’ EJ Obiena secured his spot in the Paris Olympics 2024 men’s pole vault final after a challenging qualification round on Saturday.
Obiena, making his second consecutive Olympic appearance, cleared 5.75 meters to earn the seventh seed overall and sixth place in Group A. Only the top 12 from the qualifications advanced to the medal round, scheduled for August 6 at 1 am (Philippine time).
Despite a rocky start, Obiena persevered, nearly missing out after struggling at the 5.60-meter height. He skipped the initial 5.40m jump and opted to start at 5.60m but failed on his first two attempts. Instead of risking a third attempt at 5.60m, Obiena moved to the 5.70m bar and successfully cleared it, regaining his momentum.
He then cleared 5.75m on his first attempt, securing his place in the final. Ten athletes from Group A advanced, while only two from Group B, China’s Bokai Huang and Germany’s Oleg Zernikel, moved on.
Joining Obiena in the final are world No. 1 Mondo Duplantis of Sweden and world No. 3 Sam Kendricks. Obiena, who finished 11th in the Tokyo Olympics, will compete in the final on August 6.