IN THE early hours of Saturday, July 8 (Manila time), Ernest John ‘EJ’ Obiena clinched a silver medal at the Meeting International de Sotteville, held at the Jean Adret Stadium in France.

Just five days after achieving a remarkable height of 5.82m in Sweden, which made him the first Filipino to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Obiena managed to clear 5.72m this time, earning him a second-place finish.

Australian athlete Kurtis Marschall, with an impressive personal best of 5.95m, took the top spot and claimed the gold medal in the competition, which featured a field of ten participants, including six from France.

Among the French competitors was Baptiste Thiery, who achieved a personal best of 5.72m, securing the bronze medal in the process.

Obiena surpassed Thiery’s performance, as he cleared 5.72m in just one attempt, while Thiery required two tries to achieve the same height.