Obiena 2nd behind Olympic champ

MANILA, Philippines — Tokyo-bound EJ Obiena showed he can compete with the best in the world as he snared a silver medal behind Olympic champion Thiago Braz of Brazil in the 13th Triveneto International Meeting done online yesterday.

Obiena, 24, was pitted against the 26-year-old Braz, the 2016 Rio Olympics gold medalist who is also the former’s training partner in Formia, Italy, as the two were locked at 5.45 meters in the star-studded online competition.

But Braz hurdled 5.50m while Obiena couldn’t as the Brazilian captured the gold while the Filipino took the silver.

Italy’s Max Mandusic copped the bronze with 5.35m.

Obiena’s effort equaled the same mark he registered when he snagged the Southeast Asian Games gold while setting a new meet record in December last year in Capas, Tarlac.

The performance was still below the Philippine mark of 5.81m Obiena himself submitted in Chiari, Italy in September a year ago.

Obiena is gearing up for the Tokyo Olympics in July next year.