For the second straight competition, EJ Obiena just missed out on a podium finish, this time at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial in Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday.
Obiena did clear 5.80 meters again, very close to his season’s personal best of 5.81 meters, which he set earlier this July at the Fly Athens Street Pole Vault competition in Greece. His mark tied him with American Sam Hendricks for fifth place.
The 30‑year‑old Filipino, who is looking to crack the top 10 in world rankings again, could not clear 5.90 meters in two attempts. He also tried 6.0 meters once but failed to clear it.
Mondo Duplantis Too Good for Everyone Else—Again
Mondo Duplantis, arguably the greatest pole vaulter in history already, ruled the Gyulai Istvan Memorial, winning gold by clearing 6.07 meters in one try. Duplantis began at 5.60 meters, cleared 5.80 meters effortlessly, and surprisingly needed two tries to clear 6.0 meters. With gold secured, he moved the bar to 6.32 meters to set a world record yet again. He tried three times but could not get it done.
Australia’s Kurtis Marschall bagged silver after clearing a personal‑best mark of 6.0 meters, which he accomplished on his second attempt. He tried to challenge Duplantis at 6.07 but failed three times. Coming in at third was Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis, who cleared 5.90 meters. He and Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen were the only other pole vaulters to clear 5.90 meters, but Karalis earned bronze via countback as he cleared the height in just one attempt.
Still a Decent Result for Obiena
The final result may not have yielded a medal for Obiena, but his showing in Budapest was encouraging.
Notably, the Filipino Olympian had an early slip‑up, missing the mark at 5.60 meters on his first try. He kept his composure, recovered to clear that height, and then hit 5.80 meters in one attempt. His attempts at 5.90 and 6.0 meters both fell short, but it was certainly not for lack of effort.
Obiena will reportedly skip the London Athletics Meet on July 18 and will instead compete at the Athletissima Diamond League meet in Lausanne, Switzerland, on August 20, 2026. Based on recent form, expect the Asian Games champion to be one of the top contenders again.
