EJ Obiena wins gold in German tourney, makes third straight podium in a week

Filipino Olympian and pole vaulter EJ Obiena reigned supreme in the True Athletes Classics held in Leverkussen, Germany on Sunday.

Obiena cleared the 5.81-meter mark to finish first and bested Rutgar Kopelaar of Netherlands and Kurtis Marschall of Australia who also cleared those marks. Obiena needed to attempt 5.81m twice before successfully doing it, and cleared 5.63m in just a single attempt.

In a Facebook post, Obiena said while he is happy to bring home the gold, he is frustrated for missing the 5.95m mark.

"We have boiled it down to some technical adaptations, which at these heights makes the difference between a miss or a make. Like anything in life, this is all about continual improvement," he wrote.

This is Obiena's third straight podium in just a week, following the gold in Jockgrim on Monday and bronze in Lausanne.

Obiena, in an interview with "Surprise Guest with Pia Arcangel" previously said he sees pole vaulting not as a career but an opportunity to make history.

Listen as Obiena talked about his training mantra and his thoughts about his sport.

—JMB, GMA News