No record left unbroken for the Philippines’ golden vaulter.
EJ Obiena leaped to a 5.91-meter clearance to shatter the Asian record and snag gold in the men’s pole vault event at the 25th Asian Athletics Championships at the Suphachalasai Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Sunday night.
The victory shattered his previous Asian record of 5.71 meters established when he last dominated the Asian championships last 2019.
“My goal here was really to just compete the best that I can and just do what I know I could do,” said Obiena to the press after another triumph en route to the Paris Olympics next year.
The world-ranked number three vaulter attempted to reach the six-meter mark anew and eclipse his personal best after raising the bar to 6.02 meters, but it was to no avail in three tries.
Impressively, it only took a single attempt for Obiena to reach 5.51, 5.66, and 5.80 meters before needing twice as much in his final tally. His 5.91m mark is also an Olympic qualifying level.
The win capped Team Philippines’ campaign in the Asian tilt with two golds, including Robyn Loren Brown’s win in the 400-meters women’s hurdles event — a first since legendary runner Lydia De Vega captured two golds in the Asian Championships in 1987.
The UST alumnus will head to Monaco to compete in a Diamond League leg on July 21.
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