BARELY 24 hours after competing in Austria, Ernest John Obiena wound up a respectable fourth with a jump of 5.81 meters in the Internationales Stadionfest meet at the Berlin Olympic Stadium in Germany early yesterday morning (Sunday night in Europe).
Obiena managed to keep pace with the elite field in the lower heights but finally was left behind by Americans Sam Kendricks and Chris Nielsen, who battled down the wire for top honors inthe arena that hosted the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Kendricks bagged the gold with a jump of 5.91 meters on his second try, the same jump of Kendricks, the Tokyo Olympic silver medalistwhosettled for silver on the countback.
Their compatriot, KC Lightfoot, another Tokyo Games veteran, beat Obiena to the bronze also on the countback at the height of 5.81 meters, needing just one try to clear the bar to the Filipino’s three.
Obiena competed a day after setting a new Asian and Philippine record of 5.93 meters in topping the Golden Roof Challenge meet in Innsbruck, Austria, driving eight hours and 856 kilometers to reach the Berlin capital in time to make it for his next event.
He was in the company of his physiotheraphist, Niko Viscusi, and osteopath Antonio Guglietta, both Italians.
Obiena’s father-coach, Emerson, said his son, who has been on the road since Aug. 29 and seen action in seven events, will take a well-deserved break and return to his base at the World Athletics elite training camp in Formia, Italy.
Athletics chief Philip Ella Juico said yesterday that he has submitted Obiena’s new training budget to the Philippine Sports Commission for approval since the athlete’s last allotment from the PSC was only good up to Aug. 31.
