Pole vault star EJ Obiena (File photo)
MANILA – The House of Representatives on Wednesday adopted a resolution commending Filipino pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena for bringing honor to the country as he claimed three successive podium finishes in just a week.
During the plenary session, the chamber adopted House Resolution No. 317 congratulating Obiena for bagging the gold medals in the 26th Internationales Stabhochsprung-Meeting in Jockgrim and True Athletes Classic 2022 in Leverkusen, both in Germany.
He also took home the bronze medal in the Lausanne Diamond League in Switzerland.
Speaker Martin Romualdez, House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, and Tingog Party-list Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre are among the authors of the said resolution.
They lauded Obiena, a Filipino Olympian and the world's No. 3 pole vaulter, for his remarkable contributions in bringing honor to the country.
“With his string of accomplishments, EJ’s feat is one of the greatest in Philippine athletics’ history, and underscored the kind of dizzying heights the country has achieved in pole vaulting,” they said in the resolution.
“He is set to compete again in various events, and with his hard work and determination to be the best male pole vaulter, success is within his reach," they added.
In the 26th Internationales Stabhochsprung-Meeting, Obiena beat 10 other competitors, including Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Chris Nilsen of the United States, after clearing 5.81 meters.
The golden performance allowed Obiena to reach the qualifying standard for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
The 26-year-old Obiena then placed third with a 5.80-m leap at the Athletissima in Laussane, Switzerland on Thursday (Friday, Philippine time) behind Armand Duplantis of Sweden (6.10m) and Nilsen, who also had a 5.80 but placed second after a countback.
During the True Athletes Classics 2022, Obiena won through countback after clearing the bar at 5.81 meters to finish ahead of Rutger Koppelaar of the Netherlands and Kurtis Marschall of Australia.
In July, he clinched a bronze at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA, also yielding to Duplantis and Nilsen, and climbed to No. 3 in the world rankings. (PNA)
