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EJ Obiena celebrates after winning the men's pole vault final athletics event during the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou in China's eastern Zhejiang province on September 30, 2023. POC-PSC Media Pool

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ASIAN GAMES

Steve Angeles

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/171608162927220231001-ej-obiena-pole-vault-POC-5.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">EJ Obiena celebrates after winning the men&#x27;s pole vault final athletics event during the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou in China&#x27;s eastern Zhejiang province on September 30, 2023. POC-PSC Media Pool/File</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><span dir="ltr">LOS ANGELES — Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena has leaped into his first American win.<br/><br/>As the only athlete to clear the 5.8-meter mark on Saturday, Obiena took first at the USA Track and Field Los Angeles Grand Prix.<br/><br/>&quot;It’s good. I think this is my first win on US soil so it’s very good. Definitely unexpected. I just wanted to make bars. I’m feeling a little bit under the weather today but sunny LA. Good stuff,&quot; he said.<br/><br/>Obiena faced some tough competition in the field of seven, which included American record-holder KC Lightfoot, Saudi record-holder Hussain Assem Al-Hizam, and 2020 Olympic silver medalist Chris Nilsen.<br/><br/>&quot;It shows we’re still there. We’re still building. The height doesn’t even show what I can do but I didn’t want to take a little bit more risks than necessary so I stopped as soon as I knew I won. So it’s a good sign there’s still things we need to work on. Today was more like a test,&quot; <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Obiena said.</span> <br/> <br/></span><span dir="ltr">Obiena has been in the US for the past six weeks preparing for the upcoming season. </span><span dir="ltr">He will be heading to Europe in the coming weeks for more competitions, using it as a chance to get ready for the 2024 Olympic Games. <br/></span></div><div><span dir="ltr">&quot;It’s exciting but at the same time if I’m already there I’d say good but job not done like still quite a bit of things I need to work on and accomplish,&quot; he said.</span></div><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="3039882"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script><div><span dir="ltr"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/2/21/ej-obiena-bags-first-win-of-2024-season-1018" id="isPasted">READ: EJ Obiena bags first win of 2024 season</a><br/><br/>Over on the track side of the Grand Prix, Duke University graduate Lauren Hoffman finished in 5th place in the women’s 400-meter hurdle with a time of 55.84.<br/><br/>The Virginia-born Filipino American is currently in the running to represent the Philippines at the Olympic Games and has recently returned from the Philippine National Championships. </span></div><div><span dir="ltr">She’s currently in the top 40 in world rankings, which would give her an Olympic berth.</span><span dir="ltr"> <br/><br/>&quot;For EJ and I to be the only Philippine athletes her,  it’s really special and I hope more Philippine athletes get to qualify for higher level events everybody did really well at the Philippine national champions recently a lot of good performances. Philippine athletics is on the way up,&quot; she said.<br/><br/>For both athletes, nothing has made them more proud than to see a few Filipinos and flags in the stands as they took their completions.  <br/><br/>As more Philippine athletes compete on the global stage their confidence is only expected to grow bigger, recall as the 2024 Olympic games draw closer. </span></div><div><span dir="ltr"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/01/08/24/after-banner-2023-ej-obiena-laser-focused-on-paris-olympics" id="isPasted">READ: After banner 2023, EJ Obiena laser-focused on Paris Olympics</a></span></div>

EJ Obiena wins gold at Los Angeles Grand Prix

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EJ Obiena wins gold at Los Angeles Grand Prix

Steve Angeles,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 19, 2024 10:07 AM PHT

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Updated May 19, 2024 10:18 AM PHT

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