ERNEST “JOHN” OBIENA cleared 5.93 meters not only to win gold at the 17th Golden Roof Challenge in Austria on Sunday but to shatter the Asian pole vault record that an athlete from Kazakhstan set before the 25-year-old Tokyo Olympian was born.
Obiena set the continental bar higher at the FlySwat Stadium in Innsbruck, breaking Kazakh Igor Potapovich’s record of 5.92 meters he set in Dijon, France, in June 13, 1992.
Obiena was born November 17, 1995.
“It’s the start of his journey to qualify for the Paris Olympics in 2024. All of these tournaments are part of his journey,” Obiena’s father Emerson told BusinessMirror on Sunday. “I’m really happy with his latest accomplishment.”
Hard work indeed for the younger Obiena as he developed a blister on his right palm in setting the new Asian standard with a brand new 5.2-meter USC pole.
“That 28-year-old record is older with EJ,” said the elder Obiena, who bared that he got to compete with Potapovich, but admitted the Kazakh was “way, way up there” in terms of his level.
“We competed together at the 1998 Asian Championship in Fukuoka, Japan—he won the gold, I placed sixth,” he said.
Obiena almost fumbled twice, but shocked the crowd when he shattered the Asian record in his last jump under ideal conditions with the sun just setting in the horizon. He also surpassed his personal best 5.91 meters he achieved at the Paris Wanda Diamond League last August 31.
American Matt Ludwig claimed silver with 5.60 meters with Turkish Ersu Sasma also tallying 5.60 meters which he cleared in two attempts to settle for the bronze.
Obiena will wrap up his European sortie at the International Stadionfest in Berlin, Germany, on Monday.