WORLD No. 2 Ernest John "EJ" Obiena expressed his satisfaction in closing the season with a smile. This sentiment follows his extraordinary achievement at the 19th Asian Games, where he secured the Philippines' inaugural gold medal and established a new Asian Games record in the men's pole vault at the jampacked Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium on Saturday evening, September 30.
The 27-year-old Tokyo Olympian, who hails from Tondo, Manila, cleared the bar at 5.75 meters, shattering the Asian Games record of 5.70 meters registered by Japanese Seito Yamamoto on August 29, 2018, during the Jakarta Asian Games.
In a remarkable display of skill, Obiena then proceeded to outdo himself by effortlessly leaping to a height of 5.9 meters in just one attempt, eliciting jubilant celebrations from numerous Filipino supporters in the stands. His teammates, Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Bambol Tolentino, and athletics chief Terry Capistrano were among those cheering him on.
"What a way to conclude this amazing season. Jumping in front of thunderous-synchronized claps of 80,000 people in a breathtakingly beautiful Hangzhou Stadium was more than enough to blow my mind and unquestionably register a core memory," he wrote on his Facebook on Sunday afternoon, October 1.
He added, "What a privilege it was to deliver the country's first gold in the 19th Asian Games and break the championship record. Now, we officially close this season with a smile. Thank you to my team for preparing me for the four major championships we took part in this year."
Obiena, the World Championship silver medalist and the only Asian in the elite six-meter club worldwide, stamped his rivals Bokai Huang of China and Hussain Asim Al Hizam of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who settled for the silver and bronze. Huang and Al Hizam achieved identical heights of 5.65 meters.
In a post-event interview with the media, he said, "We pushed through. I think we were able to do what we needed to do and bring back the goal for the country, which is the most important thing. No complaints about that. And I think you guys have also made it pretty clear. You know the pressure's a privilege. Thank you. It's a privilege to be able to be in this position where the whole country is literally expecting (you to win)."
Obiena's gold was also the Philippines' inaugural athletics championship in the continental extravaganza since the late Lydia de Vega's triumph in the women's 100m in 1986.
To present his coach with a fitting birthday gift, Obiena then requested the bar be raised to 6.02 meters in an audacious attempt to break his own Asian record. Unfortunately, he couldn't clear it in any of his attempts.
Obiena thanked his team led by coach Vitaliy Petrov, adding, "From SEA Games in May to Asian Games this September. A feat I thought impossible was made possible." MLSA