EJ Obiena’s podium‑less streak continued on Friday morning as he failed to medal in the men’s pole vault event at the Weltklasse Zürich 2026 (Wanda Diamond League Meeting) in Letzigrund, Zürich, Switzerland.
The Filipino cleared 5.90 meters in Zürich, but his effort was just short of a podium finish. Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis once again showed why he is a class above in men’s pole vault with a 6.25‑meter clearance for the gold—his third straight in the Diamond League. Emmanouil Karalis of Greece, now Obiena’s training partner, bagged silver after clearing 6.20 meters, while Sondre Guttormsen claimed bronze with a 6.00‑meter jump.
Christopher Nilsen of the United States and Obiena finished fourth and fifth, respectively, after both cleared 5.90 meters. Duplantis, Karalis, Guttormsen, Nilsen, and Obiena were the only five athletes to clear at least 5.90 meters in the prestigious event, which also featured prominent names such as Zachery Bradford and Sam Kendricks of the USA, Australia’s Kurtis Marschall, and France’s Renaud Lavillenie.
Progress Without a Medal for Obiena
While Obiena has gone without a medal for three straight competitions now, his performance in Zürich—and, indeed, his Diamond League return overall—is encouraging. In a sport where inches separate winners from the rest, the 30‑year‑old Filipino has shown he can scale heights usually reached only by pole vault’s elite.
In other words, the Tondo native’s recent performances suggest he is regaining the level he had before injuries disrupted what has otherwise been a phenomenal career. Winning more medals would be ideal, but incremental progress and consistency remain building blocks for bigger achievements ahead for the two‑time Olympian. His showing in Zürich is also quite significant, as it qualified te Filipino to next year’s World Championships.
This string of strong performances should also bode well for his Asian Games campaign, where he will attempt to defend the gold he won at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
For now, EJ Obiena can keep on building… and building… and building.
