EJ Obiena shares gold with 2016 Olympic champ Thiago Braz in Germany tiff

With less than a month before the Tokyo Olympics, EJ Obiena continues to bolster his preparation with hopes of emerging as the first Filipino to snag a gold in the quadrennial meet. 

The Filipino pole vault ace topped the True Athletes Classics in Leverkusen, Germany after clearing 5.80 meters in his second attempt to share the golden plum with training partner and 2016 Olympic champion Thiago Braz of Brazil.

The two pole vaulters both attempted to clear 5.90 but failed.

Germany's Bo Kanda Lita Baehre also managed to clear the 5.80 meter mark but had to settle for a bronze medal after having done it only in his third try.

Recently, the 25-year-old Obiena bagged a gold medal in the Folksam Grand Prix in Sweden after he cleared the 5.70-meter mark.

Obiena is tipped to join more competitions leading to the Tokyo Summer Games where the pole vault event is set to take place from July 31 to August 3 at the Japan National Stadium.

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA News