EJ Obiena is now a three-time Asian champion.
While he didn’t set a new personal best, the two-time Olympian delivered when it mattered most, fending off his training partner, China’s Huang Bokai, to secure his third consecutive gold medal in the men’s pole vault at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships held Saturday at Gumi Civic Stadium in South Korea.
Obiena and Huang both failed to clear 5.82 meters after three attempts, forcing a jump-off. The pair had earlier skipped 5.77 meters, making the tie-breaker a dramatic showdown.
Huang faltered on his attempt at 5.77 meters, giving Obiena a golden opportunity. The world No. 4 didn’t waste it — he cleared the height on his first try to seal the victory and extend his reign as Asia’s pole vault king.
Prior to the jump-off, Obiena had only attempted two heights, clearing 5.52 and 5.72 meters in single attempts. He passed on the 5.62 and 5.67 marks.
Huang ended with a best of 5.72 meters to take silver, while Thailand’s Patsapong Amsamarng pulled off a surprise by clinching bronze with a new personal best of 5.67 meters.
Meanwhile, fellow Filipino Hokett Delos Santos placed 13th after clearing 4.97 meters. He avoided finishing last, thanks to a one-attempt clearance, as Malaysia’s Muhammad Naufal Shahrul Afzam needed two tries to clear the same height.
Obiena has yet to clear 5.80 meters this season. His season-best remains 5.80 meters, achieved earlier this month at the PATAFA Philippine Pole Vault Challenge.
In other events, defending women’s 400-meter hurdles champion Lauryn Brown couldn’t replicate her 2023 success. The Filipino-American clocked a season-best 56.98 seconds but finished in fifth place.
China’s Mo Jiadie claimed gold with a time of 55.31 seconds, edging Bahrain’s Oluwakemi Mujidat Adekoya by just 0.01 seconds. India’s Vithya Ramraj rounded out the podium with a bronze medal finish of 56.46 seconds.
