There’s nothing more patriotic and beautiful than an athlete taking their place on the podium, watching their flag be hoisted, and listening to their national anthem play over the loudspeakers.
Since the 19th edition of the Asian Games began last week, viewers have already seen this momentous occasion come to pass for several athletes. They have adorned the podium with their triumphs, and their fans roared as they wore the gold medals they had earned for their nation.
One country in particular, the Philippines, was still striving to achieve this goal. However, on Saturday evening, the moment that the Filipino people had been waiting for finally happened.
And it was none other than the world’s second-ranked pole vaulter, EJ Obiena, who did it. The 27-year-old won first place in the Pole vault event, exceeding expectations that were high in the days leading up to the competition. This achievement marks the end of a 37-year Asiad gold medal drought for the Philippines.
Obiena sets new Asiad pole vault record
Instead of being intimidated by his countrymen’s expectations, Obiena eagerly accepted the challenge and flew past an impressive altitude of 5.90 meters at the event, breaking Seito Yamamoto’s 2018 edition record of 5.70 meters.
Obiena breezed past the 5.55 and 5.75 meter marks in his first attempts. By then, it was clear that Obiena was going to win the event, as his nearest rivals could only go as high as 5.65 meters.
He then increased the height to 5.90 meters and cleared it again. In his final three attempts, he attempted to break his personal record of 6.0 meters and set the bar to 6.02 meters, but was unable to do so.
Nevertheless, the Filipino pole vaulter still emerged victorious at the event, with China’s Huang Bokai (5.65 meters) coming in second place and Saudi Arabia’s Hussain Al Hizam (5.65 meters) coming in third place.
Obiena makes the Philippines proud
As Obiena ascended to the top of the podium that day, the Philippine national anthem blared through the Asiad speakers for the first time as the national flag was hoisted.
This was a historic moment for the entire country, and within hours of Obiena’s victory, congratulatory messages from his fellow citizens began to circulate on social media, leading to Obiena’s name trending on the country’s X platform.
Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. also congratulated Obiena, as well as other Filipino athletes, on their achievements via his X account. The president wrote,
Congratulations, EJ, on clinching our first gold in men’s pole vault at the 19th Asian Games! Kudos as well to Patrick King Perez, Jones Inso, Gideon Padua, Clemente Tabugara Jr., Alex Eala, and Francis Casey Alcantara for their outstanding performances in Taekwondo, Wushu, and Tennis!
Best of luck to all our athletes competing ahead!
Congratulations, EJ, on clinching our first gold in men's pole vault at the 19th Asian Games! Kudos as well to Patrick King Perez, Jones Inso, Gideon Padua, Clemente Tabugara Jr., Alex Eala, and Francis Casey Alcantara for their outstanding performances in Taekwondo, Wushu, and…
— Bongbong Marcos (@bongbongmarcos) October 1, 2023
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