Following his second conquest of the Asian Championships, EJ Obiena has become the world’s second-best pole vaulter.
Obiena accumulated 1,432 points through his gold medal win in the Asian Championships, allowing him to relegate the US’s Christopher Nilsen to third.
Still at the top of the heap is Olympic champion and world record holder Armand “Mondo” Duplantis of Sweden, who has 1,569 overall points.
“Thank you to everyone who made this possible, and my deepest gratitude to those who went to war so that I could continue this dream. This is not just my accomplishment alone, but everyone’s,” Obiena said on his Instagram account.
“Maraming salamat, Pilipinas, sa pagkakataon na iwagayway ang iyong diwa.”
Obiena reset the Asian record by shattering the mark he previously set at 5.91 meters. This gave him his second straight gold since winning the 2019 edition of the Asian Championships.
