Filipino pole vault star EJ Obiena bounced back in dominant fashion, clinching gold at the Orlen Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland on Monday, February 17, 2025.
After finishing outside the podium in his last two competitions, the 29-year-old Olympian delivered a season-best 5.80-meter clearance in three attempts, securing the top spot in an 11-man field featuring top contenders like Piotr Lisek, Sondre Guttormsen, Menno Vloom, and Huang Bokai.
Hometown favorite Lisek (Poland) claimed silver with a 5.70m jump, while Guttormsen (Norway) also cleared 5.70m but settled for bronze due to countback rules.
A Strong Comeback
Obiena’s victory comes after disappointing finishes in his previous two outings. He placed seventh at ISTAF Indoor in Germany (5.55m) and ninth at the Meeting Hauts-de-France last week.
This triumph marks his second gold medal in the 2025 indoor season, following his win at the Meeting Metz Moselle Athlelor, where he defeated Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Christopher Nilsen with a 5.70m jump.
With this win, Obiena regains momentum as he gears up for more international competitions ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.