By Jean Malanum
MANILA – More than 2,200 athletes will see action in the World Athletics Championships scheduled from Sept. 13 to 21 at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.
Filipino Ernest John “EJ” Obiena, the Asian Championships record-holder (5.90m), is among 28 entries in the men’s pole vault event.
The three-time Southeast Asian Games champion registered a season-best 5.80 meters at the Orlen Copernicus Cup in Poland (February), PATAFA Pole Vault Challenge (May) and Meeting Madrid in Spain (July).
Last Sunday, the world No. 7 Obiena bagged the bronze medal (5.65m) at the World Athletics Continental Tour in Beijing, China.
“Not the result I was hoping for but learned a few things and hope I can make the adjustments,” Obiena told the Philippine News Agency Wednesday morning.
After Tokyo, with the men’s pole vault final set Sept. 15, Obiena will lead the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge at Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati City on Sept. 20 and 21.
The two-day event features world No. 5 and European Championships bronze medalist Ersu Sasma of Turkey and world No. 6 and European Indoor champion Menno Vloon of the Netherlands, both with season-best records of 5.92m.
Thibaut Collet of France (No. 12), Ben Broeders of Belgium (No. 13), Austin Miller of USA (No. 14), Piotr Lisek of Poland (No. 15), Oleg Zernikel of Germany (No. 16) and Matt Ludwig of USA (No. 23) complete the roster.
The eight athletes are also in the World Championships line up headed by world No. 1 and defending champion Armand Duplantis of Sweden.
He set a new world record of 6.29m at the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix in Budapest last August 12.
Duplantis is eyeing a second title victory in Tokyo after securing the Olympic gold medal in 2021.
Other contenders are world No. 2 and 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medalist Emmanouli Karalis of Greece, world No. 3 and two-time world champion Sam Kendrics of USA, and world No. 4 and 2023 World Athletics Championships bronze medalist Kurtis Marschall of Australia. (PNA)
