Filipino pole vault standout EJ Obiena prolonged his winning momentum on Tuesday, August 18, scaling 5.91 meters to secure his third consecutive gold medal and break the meet record at the 2026 Golden Sand competition held in Międzyzdroje, Poland.
Building on back-to-back victories in Germany earlier in the month, the 30-year-old Tondo native delivered a dominant effort on Polish soil, clearing the 5.90-meter barrier for the first time since his performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Qatar’s Seifeldin Abdelsalam earned the silver medal with a 5.75-meter effort, while Cole Walsh of the United States secured the bronze at 5.70 meters, placing ahead of Saudi Arabia’s Hussain Asim Al Hizam following a countback.
The triumph proved to be a sentimental breakthrough for the two-time Olympian, who narrowly missed out on a podium spot in Paris to Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis.
“I haven’t been up here for some time… 5.91m here in Międzyzdroje for the [gold] and a new meeting record,” Obiena posted on Instagram.
“Thank you very much Golden Sand for having me. Happy to finally be back over a 90 bar,” he added.
Looking ahead, Obiena is focused on elevating his international standing to qualify for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, scheduled for September 11 to 13 at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary.
The victory also serves as crucial preparation for his title defense at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, set for later in September.