Wanda Diamond League 2023: EJ Obiena claims silver in Monaco as Armand Duplantis finishes fourth

New second-ranked Ernest John "EJ" Obiena made it nine medals in as many competitions after snaring the silver in the Monaco leg of the Wanda Diamond League at Stade Louis-II on Saturday, July 22 (Manila time).

Fresh from a record-breaking stint in the 25th Asian Athletics Championships to defend his throne, Obiena's medal streak continues in the outdoor season.

In all of his nine triumphs, Obiena had leaped by at least 5.80m.

On May 2023, the 27-year-old Tokyo 2020 Olympian earned his third gold in a row in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia last May.

In June, he became an exclusive member of the elite six-meter club after leaping past the said height during the Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway.

This July, the Filipino pole vaulting ace outperformed reigning Olympic gold medalist and world champion Armand Duplantis of Sweden, who placed fourth, by overcoming the Paris 2024 Olympics qualifying standard of 5.82 meters.

Not in his usual form, world number one Duplantis only cleared 5.72m.

Christopher Nilsen, ranked third globally, of the United States of America (U.S.A) secured his Olympic qualification in France's capital next year after a season-best 5.92m performance for the gold medal in the 10-player Monaco tiff.

Australia's Kurtis Marschall took the bronze after placing third, losing the silver to Obiena via countback despite clearing the 5.82-meter bar.

Last September 2022, Obiena defeated Duplantis for his first-ever Wanda Diamond League crown in Brussels, Belgium.

In 2023, he did the same feat.

Duplantis, after clearing 5.72m and skipping 5.82m, failed to clear 5.92m twice before raising the clearance to 6.02 for his last attempt.

However, the Swedish, arguably the greatest athlete to take up men's pole vault, went unsuccessful.

This allowed Obiena to settle for silver with 5.82m, as Nilsen already topped the Monaco tilt at that moment.

A few days earlier, Obiena moved to second place in the latest World Athletics ranking, replacing Nilsen.