COMPETING against rivals getting ready for the Paris Olympics, Filipino pole vault star EJ Obiena missed the podium on Sunday in the Meeting de Paris in France.
Obiena settled for fourth when he cleared 5.75 meters on in his final tournament before the Olympics to take joint fourth place.
The 28-year-old Obiena was tied with Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis in the French leg of the Diamond League series.
Reigning Olympic champion and world record holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden dominated, taking his 10th gold medal for the season when he soared to 6.00 meters.
American Sam Kendricks grabbed the silver with a season-best 5.95m, while France’s Thibaut Collet snared bronze with 5.85m.
Obiena was coming off two gold-medal wins in the Irena Szewinska Memorial and Czeslaw Cybulski Memorial in Poland.
He missed a third straight podium finish after committing back-to-back fouls at 5.85m.
Obiena tried to go up to 5.95 meters, but did not clear all three tries.
So far, he came up with his highest clearance this season when he jumped to 5.97m in the Irena Szewinska Memorial in June.
Duplantis, Kendricks and Collet, and Diamond League participant are all competing at the Paris Olympics with Obiena.
The Filipino has remained at world no. 2 behind Duplantis, who is still the world’s top pole vaulter.
