EJ Obiena wins third straight gold in Asian Athletics Championships
It's a three-peat for EJ Obiena!
The Filipino pole vaulter took home his third straight gold medal at the Asian Athletics Championships on May 31 in Gumi, South Korea.
Obiena bested China's Huang Bokai in a jump-off as the two were tied at 5.72 meters.
In the tie-breaker, only the 29-year-old Filipino was able to clear the 5.77m jump, successfully retaining his gold in his first attempt.
Bokai earned silver while Thailand's Patsapong Amsamarng took home bronze with a clearance of 5.62m.
After the event, EJ shared a selfie with Bokai and Amsamarng at the podium with their medals.
"Three-peat Asian Champion!!!" he captioned.
Another Filipino, Hikett delos Santos, finished 13th among the 15 pole vault finalists. He was able to clear 4.97m.
Obiena is the world's No. 4 in men's pole vault. He placed fourth at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Earlier this year, he was named Athlete of the Year by the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association.
The pole vaulter holds the Asian record, 6.00m, which he cleared at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.
He won his first gold at the Asian Championships in 2019 in Doha, Qatar, and his second in 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand. In his 2023 run, he achieved a 5.91m jump.
