Obiena strikes gold in Berlin, boosts World Indoors bid

With one clean vault and a steady nerve, EJ Obiena soared to gold in the ISTAF Indoor Berlin, delivering a season-best performance that strengthened his case for a spot in the World Athletics Indoor Championships Toruń 2026.

The Filipino pole vaulter cleared 5.78 meters on his first attempt at Uber Arena in Berlin, topping an eight-man field and igniting fresh hopes of qualifying for the global indoor meet later this month, March 7 (Philippine time).

The victory marked Obiena’s first solo gold in the European indoor circuit this season and strengthened his chances of making the final entry list for the world championships in Toruń, Poland. 

While he fell short of the 5.90-meter automatic qualifying mark, the win added valuable ranking points that could secure him one of the remaining spots when the official “Road to Toruń” list is finalized.

Obiena, currently ranked No. 12 in the world, approached the competition strategically by skipping the opening heights of 5.30 meters and 5.45 meters to conserve energy. 

He cleared 5.60 meters on his second attempt before bypassing 5.70 and successfully vaulting 5.78 on his first try.

Simen Guttormsen of Norway also cleared 5.78 meters but settled for silver after countback penalties from earlier attempts. 

Menno Vloon of the Netherlands and Bo Kanda Lita Baehre of Germany shared bronze honors with identical jumps of 5.70 meters.

Both Obiena and Guttormsen attempted to raise the bar to 5.83 meters but were unable to convert their three tries.

The Berlin triumph follows Obiena’s gold-medal performance at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tianjin last month and his shared victory with Vloon at a meet in Cottbus, Germany.

With only a handful of athletes clearing the 5.90-meter entry standard this season, the Filipino standout remains in strong contention for a place in the Toruń championships through the world rankings.

If confirmed, the appearance would add another chapter to Obiena’s growing international resumé as he continues to chase podium finishes against the world’s elite, including Olympic champion Armand Duplantis.