EJ Obiena scores back-to-back in Italian tilts

MANILA, Philippines — Days after improving the national mark that he himself set, Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena struck gold in the Citta di Padova Atletica Mondiale 2019 at the Stadio Euganeo in Padua, Italy Tuesday night, indicating his readiness to do good in the coming Southeast Asian Games.

The 23-year-old Obiena registered 5.55 meters, defeating Greek Theodo Chrysanthopoulos and Argentinian German Chiaraviglio, who both posted 5.30m.

It was the second golden performance for Obiena in less than a week after he reigned supreme in the 30th Summer Universiade in Naples where he submitted 5.76m to erase the previous Phl record of 5.71m he himself set during the 23rd Asian Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar in April.

And then Obiena traveled almost 700kms from Naples to Padua to add another gold to his growing collection.

The twin feats bode well for Obiena’s bid to snare the gold in the Southeast Asian Games set in Clark, Pampanga in November.

Obiena’s effort in Padua, though lower than the one he submitted in Naples, is still higher than the current SEAG standard of 5.35m Thai Porranot Puraong set in winning the gold in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia two years.

Obiena wound up with just the silver then.