CAPAS, Philippines – EJ Obiena once again wowed Filipinos with another brilliant athletic showmanship, flattening the field and setting a new Southeast Asian Games record Saturday at New Clark City here.
Yes, EJ Obiena is Olympics-bound next July 2020, and that’s what exactly he did. He showed the stuff he’s made of and soared highest to capture the men’s pole vault gold by clearing the bar at 5.45 meters, a new SEA Games record.
The previous mark of 5.35m held by Thailand’s Porranot Purahong.
In the previous edition of the regional meet in 2017, Obiena pulled out of the SEA Games after sustaining an ACL injury just a day before leaving for the competition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Obiena, 23, recovered in time for the 2018 Asian Games, but not so much as he had a lackluster stint in there before hitting hard back last September where he notched a Tokyo 2020 Olympics berth by meeting the 5.80m qualifying mark and smashing his Philippine record the third time. (IAMIGO/CNS)
