EJ Obiena takes Meeting International de Sotteville 2023 silver

Ernest John "EJ" Obiena continued to collect medals after notching the silver in the Meeting International de Sotteville 2023 in Rouen, France on Friday, July 7 (Saturday, July 8, Manila time).

Continuing his medal streak during the outdoor season, Obiena placed second in the French track and field meet by clearing 5.72 meters.

Five days prior, Obiena, world no. 3, qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics by leaping past the 5.82-meter bar, the established qualifying standard for pole vaulters, in the Bauhaus-Galan leg of the Wanda Diamond League held in Stockholm, Sweden.

Armand Duplantis, on the other hand, clinched the Bauhaus-Galan gold in front of his home fans.

Obiena never missed the podium this outdoor season, claiming two golds, two silvers, and three bronzes in the seven competitions he participated.

Last June, the 27-year-old Tokyo 2020 Olympian became the latest member of the six-meter club during the Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway.

Skipping the first four heights, Obiena easily overcame 5.72m in a single try; however, he failed to clear 5.87m in two attempts.

In his third and final attempt, Obiena opted to beat the 5.92 clearance to no avail.

This set the stage for Australia's Kurtis Marschall, who already cracked 5.82m in three tries, to claim the gold with a record leap.

Marschall leaped a new personal best of 5.95m to join Obiena, Duplantis, and Germany's Bo Kanda Lita Baehre in next year's Summer Olympics in France's capital.

Home bet Thiery Baptiste settled for bronze despite an identical 5.72m finish as Obiena via countback.