Ernest John “EJ” Obiena sustained his strong run on the European circuit, capturing back-to-back gold medals after topping the Raiffeisen Austrian Open with a stadium-record clearance of 5.75 meters in Eisenstadt.

Fresh from securing his first outdoor title of the 2026 season in Poland, the Filipino pole vaulter delivered another winning performance at the Leichtathletik Arena, overcoming challenging conditions and a long night of competition to clinch the victory.

Obiena needed multiple attempts before successfully clearing 5.75 meters on his third try, enough to secure the gold and set a new meet standard.

“After many runs and third-attempt makes, we needed to call it a night after 11 p.m. Thank you very much for having me,” Obiena said in a social media post.

The victory marked Obiena’s second consecutive gold medal in as many competitions, signaling a strong build-up in his outdoor campaign as he continues to fine-tune his form against international competition.

Obiena, one of the world’s top-ranked pole vaulters, has been steadily gaining momentum this season, using the European meets as key preparation for upcoming major tournaments.