BACK in action after pulling out of the previous meet due apparently to an acting back, Ernest John Obiena jumped 5.70 meters to finish seventh in the BAUHAUS-Galan meet highlighted by the world record-breaking victory of Swede Armand Duplantis at the Olympic Stadium in Stockholm, Sweden yesterday morning (Sunday night in Europe).
Obiena, who had an “NM” or “no mark” result in the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway last week because of a reported back flareup, was healthy enough to perform this time, winding up seventh with three jumps, clearing 5.45 meters once then reaching 5.70 meters on his second try.
He was tied at the same height with American Dan Keaton and Turkish Ersu Sasma, who were deadlocked in fifth place, as they cleared it in one jump.
If it was any consolation, Obiena bested for the first time this season American Sam Kendricks and Greek Emmanouil Karalis, the silver and bronze medalists, respectively, in last year’s Paris Olympics, and tied for eighth at 5.60 meters.
But the day truly belonged to the dynamic Duplantis, who set a new world record of 6.28 meters in front of an adoring and delighted hometown crowd that was finally able to witness him set a new world standard in the Swedish capital.
It marked the 12th time that the irrepressible Swede raised the bar to a new lofty height, surpassing his own previous best of 6.27 meters in ruling the All-Star Perche meet in Clermont-Ferrand, France last Feb. 28.
“Breaking the world record is something the 25-year-old two-time Olympic champion had done on 11 previous occasions – but never before had he done so in his home stadium, and his joy was unbounded as he leapt from the pit, ripped off his shirt and pumped his fists amid the general uproar,” the World Athletics report on its website said.
“Inside the final 30 seconds of allotted time after waiting for what little breeze there was to drop, the center of attention matched all expectations as he (Duplantis) sailed over with only the faintest of contact with the bar. World record number 12, and counting,” the report added.
“I feel full to the brim right now,” said Duplantis after the record-breaking triumph. “I’ve got a lot of family here. The first time I jumped in this stadium when I was 11 years old, it was rainy and cold, and I jumped right under four meters – it was quite high for how young I was.
“I’m just going to enjoy this, enjoy the moment right now. There’s not much between me and 6.30m, technically. I’m just a perfect day away from it.”
