Obiena still trying to find old form

MANILA, Philippine — Filipino pole vault star EJ Obiena is patiently waiting to regain the form that propelled him to prominence.

It hasn’t returned yet.

The World No. 4 continued his struggles and finished seventh out of nine participants after a 5.70-meter clearance in the Bauhaus-Galan at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium in Sweden over the weekend.

It was the third meet in a row that 29-year-old Asian champion and record-holder failed to make the podium after he wound up fifth in the Netherlands and dead last in Oslo after missing clear any height.

His last medal came in the Asian Championship in Gumi, South Korea where he copped the gold.

While Obiena kept groping for form, Olympic and world champion Armand Duplantis continued to reach newer heights and set a new world record with a spectacular 6.28m clearance.

Aussie Kurt Marschall copped the silver with a 5.90m while Dutch Menno Vloon took the bronze with a 5.80m.

Obiena went for 5.80 but failed in three tries.