MANILA – Filipino pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena overcame early struggles to clinch a finals seat in the men’s pole vault event of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday at the Stade de France in Paris, France.
The former University of Santo Tomas standout nearly got booted out in the qualifying round after struggling to move past the 5.60-meter mark twice before he decided to switch to a much-higher 5.70-meter mark.
Obiena, currently the world’s No. 2 ranked pole vaulter, then solidified his qualification to the gold medal round on Monday night (early Tuesday morning in the Philippines) after clearing the 5.75-meter mark.
Obiena, a two-time medalist in the World Athletics Championships qualified to the finals despite the lingering back issues he had been dealing with leading to the qualifying phase of the pole vault tilt.
The Philippines last bagged an athletics medal in the Olympics in 1936 when Miguel White finished with a bronze medal in the men’s 400-meter hurdles held in Berlin, Germany.
Meanwhile, Filipina boxer Nesthy Petecio moved closer to the medal round following a stunning decision victory over hometown bet Amina Zidani in the women’s 57kg round-of-16 match.
Petecio, a silver medal winner in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, had to grind it out in the last two rounds after struggling in the opening round to secure the verdict of four out of five judges.
Pinoy boxer Carlo Paalam, on the other hand, fell short of a podium finish after a controversial split decision defeat to Australian Charlie Seniorin the men’s 57 kg quarterfinals match.
Rower Joanie Delgaco wrapped up her Paris Olympics campaign by finishing second in the Final D at the women’s single sculls competition at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
Pinoy swimmer Jarod Hatch, on the other hand, also ended his Olympic campaign with a last-place finish among eight swimmers in the second heat of the men’s 100-meter butterfly./PN
