Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena competes in the men's pole vault final in the 2026 Asian Games, September 29, 2026 at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Japan. POC Media
Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena remains the gold standard in his event in Asia.
Obiena put on a record-breaking performance on a rainy Tuesday evening at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Japan to deliver the Philippines' third gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games.
Obiena cleared 5.91-meters, matching his season-best and resetting the mark that he set three years ago in Hangzhou to clinch the gold medal.
China's Yao Jie (5.70-m) and Li Chenyang (5.70-m) completed the podium, with Yao taking the silver via countback.
Obiena had skipped the first three heights before successfully clearing 5.50-m, 5.70-m, and 5.75-m in his first attempts. His last clearance put him in first place, with the Chinese athletes and Thailand's Patsapong Amsamarng in chase.
But Amsamarng faltered twice at 5.75-m, while Yao missed on all three of his attempts.
Li, after missing his first try at 5.75-m, twice attempted to clear 5.80-m and failed both times.
Obiena also missed two attempts at 5.80-m, but was already assured of a gold medal. Still, he put on a final show for the crowd at the stadium, and successfully cleared 5.91-m in his last jump.
A jubilant Obiena yelled in triumph after the record-setting jump, having built on the momentum of a series of wins heading into the Asian Games.