EJ Obiena qualifies for pole vault finals at Paris Olympics

EJ Obiena has qualified for the finals of the men's pole vault event at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday (Manila time), narrowly avoiding elimination despite early struggles.

Obiena aims to secure his breakthrough Olympic medal in a strong field that includes world no. 1 Mondo Duplantis of Sweden, who cleared heights of 5.60 and 5.75 meters with ease during the qualification round.

World champion Duplantis remains a formidable opponent after clearing 6.24 meters last April and winning gold in Tokyo with a clearance of 6.02 meters.

Other notable competitors include Sam Kendricks from the USA and Kurtis Marschall from Australia, both among the top pole vaulters in 2024.

The nation is supporting Obiena as he aims to become the first Filipino to win an Olympic medal in athletics since Miguel White's bronze in men's 400m hurdles at the 1936 Berlin Games.