EJ Obiena Clears the Bar That Held Him Back for Two Years

For two years, 5.90 meters sat just out of reach for EJ Obiena. On Monday, August 17, at the Golden Sand meet in Miedzyzdroje, Poland, he finally cleared it. He landed at 5.91 meters, a new meet record, and took the gold.

It was his first time over 5.90 meters since the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he hit the exact height but missed a bronze medal by centimeters. The Golden Sand clearance also stands as his best jump since he vaulted 5.97 meters to win the 2024 Irena Szewinska Memorial, also in Poland.

A Streak Building Quietly

The win marked Obiena’s third straight gold and his eighth overall this year. He arrived at Golden Sand fresh off back to back wins in Germany, clearing 5.76 meters in Halberstadt and 5.83 meters in Jockgrim.

Qatar’s Seifeldin Abdelsalam finished a distant second at 5.75 meters. The United States’ Cole Walsh took bronze at 5.70 meters, edging out Saudi Arabia’s Hussain Al-Hizam on countback.

Next Stop, Nagoya

Obiena kept his reaction simple. He wrote on social media that he had not been over the bar in a while and thanked Golden Sand for the opportunity, adding that he was happy to finally clear a 90 mark again.

Obiena heads to Nagoya, Japan in September for the Asian Games, where he will defend his title.