THE BEST ASIAN POLE VAULTER IN THE WORLD IS A FILIPINO
Obiena cleared 5.93m in his gold medal foray in the 17th International Golden Roof Challenge in Innsbruck, Austria Saturday evening (Sunday morning Philippine time).
With the gold already in the bag after soaring to 5.80m, the Filipino world No. 5 kept going en route to setting a new Asian pole vault record with a 5.93m clearance on his third and last try.
That mark surpassed the almost quarter-century old record of Kazakhstan’s Igor Potapovich, who cleared 5.92m in 1992.
The Filipino pole vaulter, who recently broke his personal and his country’s best of 5.91m in the Paris Diamond League, achieved the feat in his third and final attempt. He cleared 5.60m, 5.70m, and 5.80m prior.
Having been the lone participant still standing for that final clearance, Obiena committed fouls on his first two tries before finally breaking through for the Asian record as well as the gold medal that came along with it.
Matt Ludwig of the United States notched silver, while Ersu Sasma of Turkey settled for bronze as the count back rule favored the American. Ludwig cleared 5.60m in his first try, while Sasma needed two.
— source: goldenroofchallenge.at/picture: screenshot adriansprints.com
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