Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena continued his strong start to 2026 by winning the gold medal at the 12th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tianjin, China, on Saturday. It is his first gold in the said meet and the latest addition to his growing hardware collection in pole vault.
The 30-year-old Olympian cleared 5.70 meters to win the country’s first gold in the continental indoor meet. He was also head and shoulders above the competition, as hometown bets Li Chenyang and Chen Yang could only clear 5.60 and 5.40m, respectively, to clinch silver and bronze.
Obiena’s golden conquest in China is his third podium finish so far in 2026 and his second gold after finishing co-champion in his first event of the season—the Internationales Springer-Meeting in Cottbus, Germany, where he successfully cleared 5.77m. He also claimed bronze at the ISTAF Indoor in Düsseldorf, Germany, where he cleared 5.65m. Before coming to China, Obiena finished fifth at the Perch’Xtrem in Caen, France, but was able to clear 5.75m.
EJ Obiena Poised for 2026 Relaunch
Obiena’s strong start to the season is well-timed, as the Tondo native is looking to recapture his prime form after a trying 2025. Once ranked in the top three, the country’s top pole vaulter fell off precipitously last year as he struggled with inconsistency largely brought about by recurring injuries. The fall-off was considerable, as the former UST alum dropped out of the top five before completely falling out of the top ten (he is currently 11th).
In addition, Obiena’s clearance heights dropped as well. From regularly clearing 5.9–6.0m, the two-time Olympian started struggling at those heights, resulting in disappointing and podium-less finishes throughout 2025. This inconsistency was magnified because Obiena is seen as among the very best in men’s pole vault, and he regularly went height-for-height with the top athletes in the sport in previous years.
Now, after clearing at least 5.75m in three of his first four tournaments and nailing three podium finishes, it is looking like EJ Obiena is finally healthy and ready for a career relaunch.
