EJ Obiena extended his golden streak at the Asian level by claiming his first-ever indoor title, winning the men’s pole vault at the 12th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships with a mark of 5.70 meters on Saturday at the Tianjin Tuanbo Sports Center Athletics Arena in China.
Since capturing his maiden Asian outdoor gold in April 2019 in Doha, Qatar, the 30-year-old star has dominated the region, winning the next two Asian championships, securing the Universiade crown, and collecting four consecutive Southeast Asian Games golds.
Obiena, as expected, passed on the opening heights of 5.20 and 5.40 meters to conserve energy for the higher marks. The University of Santo Tomas product then cleared 5.50 meters on his first attempt, putting himself on the board ahead of hometown favorite Li Chenyang, who had previously cleared 5.40 meters, attempting to follow in compatriot Zong Tong’s footsteps from 2024.
Another Chinese contender, Chen Yang, had already secured a medal with a one-time clearance of 5.40 meters but fell short of the gold after failing all three attempts at 5.50 meters, leaving Li and Obiena to battle for the top spot.
Li briefly took the lead by clearing 5.60 meters on his second attempt after Obiena skipped the height. Ultimately, Obiena prevailed, vaulting 5.70 meters on his first try, a mark that Li could not surpass. Li and Chen took silver and bronze for the host nation, respectively.
With this victory, Obiena, who also won the outdoor title last year in Gumi, South Korea, becomes the defending champion in both the Asian outdoor and indoor championships for the first time in his career.
