MANILA – Filipino Olympian Ernest John “EJ” Obiena has successfully retained his Asian Athletics Championships gold medal by topping the men’s pole vault event on Saturday in Gumi, South Korea.
The former University of Santo Tomas standout cleared 5.77 meters in the jump-off against China’s Huang Bokai to rule the men’s pole vault event in the competition for the third straight year.
The two-time Olympian previously ruled the Asian tourney during the 2019 edition in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and in 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand.
The jump-off between Obiena and Huang took place after both pole vaulters cleared 5.72 meters in just one attempt, skipped 5.77, then failed in all three attempts of the 5.82 mark.
It was Obiena who cleared the 5.77-meter mark in the jump-off, handing Huang the silver medal. Thailand’s Patsapong Amsamarng copped the bronze with 5.67 meters.
“Three-peat Asian Champion!!! #parasabayan,” Obiena captioned in a picture of him with Huang and Amsamarng.
Another Filipino pole vaulter in Hokett Delos Santos, meanwhile, placed 13th. He cleared 4.97 meters.
Meanwhile, Filipina-American Lauryn Brown failed to defend her women’s 400-meter hurdles gold medal after landing at fifth place with a season-best of 56.98 seconds.
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./PN
