Jamaine Punzalan

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Paige Javier

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17842547409801784254736642.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand. POC Media/File.</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA – A month since he moved his training base to Athens, Greece, Filipino Olympic pole vaulter EJ Obiena is slowly but surely soaring to greater heights. </p><p>Obiena successfully cleared 5.85 meters at the Meeting Madrid 2026 (World Athletics Continental Tour Silver) on early Friday morning, Manila time. </p><p>The Southeast Asian champion&#x27;s performance was good for silver, while also recording his season best. </p><p>&quot;Green socks 🧦 for the green track of Madrid 🇪🇸 5.85m for 2nd place🥈and SB here @athleticstoures . Thank you for having us. Will get this bar next time,&quot; Obiena wrote on his Instagram post. </p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Da3wUbSNHBF/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=986&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A1597038%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="821" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Germany&#x27;s Bo Kanda Lita Baehre took home gold after soaring past 5.90 meters, while Portugal&#x27;s Pedro Buaró clinched bronze at 5.85 meters. </p><p>Last week, Obiena cleared 5.81 meters at the Fly Athens Street Pole Vault, where he missed out on the podium after the countback. </p><p>Obiena is currently No. 14 in the latest men&#x27;s pole vault world rankings. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/2/7/ej-obiena-bags-gold-in-12th-asian-indoor-athletics-championships-2200">EJ Obiena bags gold in 12th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships </a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/6/15/obiena-opens-2026-outdoor-season-with-silver-in-d-sseldorf-1229">EJ Obiena opens 2026 outdoor season with silver in Düsseldorf </a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/7/6/obiena-clears-season-best-5-81m-for-fourth-place-finish-in-greece-tourney-1719">Obiena clears season-best 5.81m for fourth-place finish in Greece tourney </a></div><p>The Olympic Filipino pole vaulter moved his training base to Athens, Greece, switching to Polish coach Marcin Szczepanski last month. </p><p>Obiena trains alongside fellow Olympian and world No. 2 Emmanuel Karalis in a facility that is at the site of the 2004 Athens Olympics. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/6/18/obiena-opens-up-on-greece-move-new-coaching-setup-with-coach-szczepanski-1850">Obiena opens up on Greece move, new coaching setup with Coach Szczepanski </a></div><p>The 30-year-old said the move to Greece is part of his plan to maximize his chances of contending for a medal at the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/3/27/olympic-women-s-sport-to-be-limited-to-biological-females-0830">2028 Los Angeles Olympics.</a></p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/3/27/olympic-women-s-sport-to-be-limited-to-biological-females-0830https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/3/27/olympic-women-s-sport-to-be-limited-to-biological-females-0830">Olympic women&#x27;s sport to be limited to &#x27;biological females&#x27;</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/3/27/olympic-women-s-sport-to-be-limited-to-biological-females-0830https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/3/27/olympic-women-s-sport-to-be-limited-to-biological-females-0830https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/4/21/fiba-upcoming-3x3-world-cup-a-chance-for-gilas-women-to-boost-olympic-hopes-1710">FIBA: Upcoming 3x3 World Cup a chance for Gilas Women to boost Olympic hopes </a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/5/1/ph-gymnastics-targets-3-golds-at-la-2028-olympics-1751">PH Gymnastics targets 3 golds at LA 2028 Olympics</a></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5fRfv4UG0Ww?&amp;pp=0gcJCZkLAYcqIYzv&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qSiKsVZXb0g?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div> </div>

<p>Obiena successfully cleared 5.85 meters at the Meeting Madrid 2026 (World Athletics Continental Tour Silver). </p>

Obiena successfully cleared 5.85 meters at the Meeting Madrid 2026 (World Athletics Continental Tour Silver).

EJ Obiena soars to season best, captures silver in Madrid

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EJ Obiena soars to season best, captures silver in Madrid

Paige Javier,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 17, 2026 10:23 AM PHT

Read More:

Pole vault

EJ Obiena

Meeting Madrid 2026

World Athletics Continental Tour Silver

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