MANILA, Philippines – As consistent as Filipino pole vault star EJ Obiena has been, there are simply just times when he is caught on a bad day.

Obiena missed the podium for the first time in the outdoor season as he surprisingly finished last out of the 10 pole vaulters in the Weltklasse Zurich in Switzerland on Thursday, August 31 (Friday, September 1, Manila time).

Currently ranked second in the world, Obiena hurdled just 5.60 meters to bow out early in the Zurich leg of the prestigious Diamond League.

His 5.60m clearance marked his lowest vault of the year, even lower than his record-setting 5.65m finish in the Southeast Asian Games in May that netted him a third straight gold in the biennial tiff to kick off the outdoor season.

Obiena went on to secure a podium spot in his next 10 meets – an impressive run that saw him win three more golds, become the first Asian to join the exclusive six-meter club, and secure his berth in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

He capped that stretch with another historic feat, securing the Philippines its highest finish in the World Athletics Championships when he won silver in Budapest, Hungary five days prior.

Streaks, though, are meant to be broken.

Going up against a star-studded field in Zurich that included world record holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden and world No. 3 Chris Nilsen of the USA, Obiena cleared 5.60m in just a single try before he got eliminated.

Obiena committed his first two fouls at 5.75m and exhausted his last one at 5.85m.

Duplantis, who outlasted Obiena in Budapest to defend his world title, claimed another gold as he soared past 6.00m.

Two Americans completed the podium, with Sam Kendricks bagging silver with 5.95m and KC Lightfoot clinching bronze with 5.90m.

Kurtis Marschall of Australia (5.85m) and Nilsen (5.75m), who shared the bronze in the world championships, finished fifth and sixth, respectively.

It is now back to the drawing board for Obiena as he continues his buildup for Paris. – Rappler.com