A Month Into Athens, Obiena’s Numbers Start Climbing
EJ Obiena cleared 5.85 meters at Meeting Madrid 2026 early Friday morning, Manila time. The height was good for silver and a new season best.
The Athens Move
Obiena relocated his training camp to Athens, Greece, a month ago. He switched to Polish coach Marcin Szczepanski and now trains alongside Emmanuel Karalis, the world’s current No. 2, at a facility built for the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Germany’s Bo Kanda Lita Baehre took gold, clearing 5.90 meters. Portugal’s Pedro Buaró also cleared 5.85 meters, taking bronze.
Obiena marked the finish on Instagram: green socks for Madrid’s green track, and a note that he’d get the next bar.
Four Centimeters Higher Than Last Week
The silver comes a week after Obiena cleared 5.81 meters at the Fly Athens Street Pole Vault, where he missed the podium on countback. Madrid turned that near miss into a medal.
The Longer Plan
Obiena is currently ranked No. 14 in the world. At 30, he has framed the move to Athens as part of a longer build toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
