From Hangzhou to Nagoya, EJ Obiena once again rose above Asia’s best, defending his Asian Games men’s pole vault crown with a record-breaking 5.91-meter clearance at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Japan on Tuesday, September 29.
The Filipino star soared over the bar on his first attempt, eclipsing his own 5.90 meters Asian Games record set in 2023 when he claimed his maiden Asiad gold in Hangzhou, China.
After two failed attempts at 5.80m, Obiena skipped his final try and raised the bar to 5.91m, clearing it with room to spare on his way to becoming the first back-to-back champion in the event since Kazakhstan’s Igor Potapovich won in 1994 and 1998.
China’s Yao Jie and Li Chenyang completed the podium after both cleared 5.70m, with Yao taking silver and Li settling for bronze.
Obiena’s victory delivered the Philippines its third gold medal, following Carlos Yulo’s golden double in men’s artistic gymnastics.