By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Filipino pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena secured his second gold medal of the week after ruling the NetAachen Domspringen tournament in Katschhof, Aacehn, Germany yesterday (Philippine time).

Obiena, the first Filipino athlete to qualify for the Paris Olympics next year, captured the men’s pole vault gold medal after successfully clearing the 5.92-meter mark.

United States’ Sam Kendricks finished with a silver medal with 5.87 meters, while France’s Thibaut Collet settled for a bronze medal finish with 5.82 meters.

The 5.92 meters was the same mark the former University of Santo Tomas pole vaulter cleared when he ruled the Internationales Stadionfest (ISTAF) early this week in Berlin.

Prior to this, the 6-foot-3 Obiena came off a silver medal finish in the World Athletics Championship two weeks ago, where he tallied his personal best of six meters.

After that, Obiena suffered his worst performance when he landed in 10th and last place in the Wanda Diamond League-Weltklasse Zurich just last week.

Obiena also took home a gold medal during the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, last July, as he easily defeated his rivals from the region.

After Obiena netted his second gold medal in a week, Philippine Olympic Committee chair Abraham Tolentino said he is confident that the pole vaulter can win a gold medal in the Asian Games later this month.

“I can assure you that our pole vaulter EJ Obiena can win a gold medal,” Tolentino said in an interview on PTV’s Laging Handa public briefing.

“No Asian has beaten him or been close to him record-wise,” he said.

“He’s the number one pole vaulter in Asia, so he’s assured to win a gold medal. It’s a shame that gymnast Carlos Yulo won’t compete. It would have been two golds already,” he added./ASC, WDJ