MANILA, Philippines – EJ Obiena claimed his second victory of the 2026 season after winning the gold medal in the men’s pole vault at the 12th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tianjin, China.
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| Photo courtesy: Facebook/EJ Obiena |
The Filipino Olympic pole vaulter dominated the final at the Tuanbo Sports Center on Saturday to add another international title to his early-year campaign.
Obiena cleared 5.70 meters on his first attempt, a mark that proved enough to secure the top spot on the podium.
He then attempted to raise the bar to 5.80 meters but failed to clear the height in all three tries after already locking in the win.
China’s Li Chenyang settled for silver after clearing 5.60 meters on his second attempt but falling short of Obiena’s winning jump.
Fellow Chinese vaulter Chen Yang clinched the bronze medal with a successful 5.40-meter clearance.
Obiena continues to hold the Asian indoor record of 5.93 meters, which he set during the ISTAF Indoor meet in February 2024.
The Tianjin triumph stands as his second gold medal of the year, following his victory at the International Springer-Meeting in Germany last January 29.
At that meet, Obiena shared the title with Dutch vaulter Menno Vloon after both athletes posted identical results.
He is scheduled to compete next at the INIT Indoor Meeting Karlsruhe in Germany, where he is expected to face Vloon once again.
With two international wins already this 2026, Obiena continues to build strong momentum for another promising season on the global stage.
— The Summit Express