EJ Obiena wins gold in France after dominating the 2025 Meeting Metz Moselle Athlelor, securing his first gold medal of the year with a 5.70-meter clearance.
The two-time Olympian showcased his strength following a silver medal finish at the International Springer-Meeting Cottbus in January.
Obiena edged out Menno Vloon of the Netherlands, who also cleared 5.70m, but the Filipino pole vaulter prevailed via countback.
Despite three attempts, Obiena fell short of surpassing the 5.85m mark.
Christopher Nilsen of the United States settled for bronze after registering 5.60m.
Obiena is set to compete next in the ISTAF Indoor tournament in Germany on Sunday night (Manila time), where he aims to defend his title.
Last year, Obiena dominated the ISTAF Indoor, setting a new Asian indoor record of 5.93m.
World champion, Olympic gold medalist, and record holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden will not participate in the event.
However, the competition remains intense, with two-time Olympic silver medalist Sam Kendricks of the United States among the top contenders.
Other notable athletes in the lineup include Germany’s Oleg Zernikel, Bo Kanda Lita Baehre, and Torben Blech, as well as Huang Bokai of China, Ersu Susma of Turkey, and Austin Miller of the United States.