World No. 2 EJ Obiena shattered the Asian Games record on his way to giving the Philippines its first gold in the 19th Asian Games.
“Magaling talaga ‘yan,” quipped ultra bilyonaryo Ricky Razon, chairman of International Container Terminal Services Inc. and Obiena’s principal sponsor.
The 27-year-old Obiena demonstrated his prowess by effortlessly clearing 5.75 meters, outclassing his opponents in a remarkable display of world-class athleticism.
Taking it a step further, he soared to 5.9 meters, surpassing the previous record set by Japan’s Seito Yamamoto, who jumped 5.7 meters during the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Obiena, second only to Sweden’s Armand Duplantis in global rankings, aimed even higher by attempting to clear 6.02 meters. However, despite three attempts, he fell short of this mark.
Earlier, Obiena had already etched his name in history by clearing 6 meters in the Bergen Jump Challenge in Bryggen, Norway, on July 10. This remarkable feat marked him as the first Asian athlete to join the exclusive 6-meter club in men’s pole vaulting.