Obiena cops bronze at INIT Indoor Meeting in Karlsruhe

MANILA, February 10 ------ Filipino pole vault star EJ Obiena secured a bronze medal after clearing 5.70 meters at the INIT Indoor Meeting Karlsruhe in Germany. Norway's Sondre Mogens Guttormsen claimed the gold medal with a successful jump of 5.84 meters, while American Cole Walsh settled for silver after clearing 5.78 meters.

The podium finish came after a demanding stretch for Obiena, who recently completed his "Asian Slam" with a gold medal triumph at the Asian Indoor in China. Prior to the Karlsruhe meet, Obiena revealed that he was initially set to withdraw from the competition due to scheduling and travel concerns. "It's actually a bit of a long story," Obiena shared. "So initially, I pulled out already of the competition because when the schedule came out and it was the 7th of February, I knew that I was not going to make the 8th in Germany. So I canceled."

He explained that uncertainties surrounding his trip almost prevented him from competing altogether. However, with assistance from the Philippine Embassy, Obiena was able to resolve the situation and reinstate his slot in the competition. "With the help of the Philippine Embassy here, we were able to figure out how to make it work. So I ended up going here, and I had already reinstated my spot in the competition in Karlsruhe. I couldn't be pulling out, going in, pulling out again," he added.

Following his bronze-medal finish, Obiena said he will take time to reassess his condition after a physically taxing trip. "We'll regroup first because I think this trip definitely took a toll on my health. It's not an easy trip to be doing," he said.

Obiena is currently scheduled to compete on February 19 in Liévin, France, and on February 22 in Toruń, Poland, though he noted that his final schedule will depend on how his body responds. "Before that, there's supposed to be a meet on the 14th, but it really depends on how I feel," Obiena said. "If I feel really exhausted, I might skip it and really focus on the next few."

Source: news.abs-cbn.com