Ernest John “EJ” Obiena has finally done it all—indoors, outdoors, and now, undeniably, completely.
On a crisp Saturday night in Tianjin, China, the Filipino pole vault ace soared over 5.70 meters on his very first attempt at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, turning the arena into his personal highlight reel.
The clean clearance was enough to silence the home crowd and edge out Chinese bets Li Chenyang and Chen Yang for the gold.
With that vault, Obiena didn’t just win a medal. He finished a collection.
The Tianjin triumph adds Asian Indoor gold to an already glittering résumé: Asian Games gold in 2022, plus Asian Athletics Championships titles from 2019, 2023, and 2025. The only missing piece had been the Asian Indoors crown. Until now.
“This was the final remaining Asian Championship gold that I hadn’t got,” Obiena shared in a reflective social media post. “The one remaining was the Asian Indoors Championship.”
What made the victory sweeter was the long road back. Tianjin marked just his second appearance in the Asian Indoor Championships—and his first real shot in over a decade.
His initial attempt years ago never truly got off the ground, thanks in part to logistical nightmares, including the unforgettable problem of not getting his poles to the host city.
This time, everything aligned.
Obiena also used the moment to tip his cap to Theodore Roosevelt’s famous “Man in the Arena” quote, a favorite of his. He aimed it squarely at critics who chirp from the sidelines—especially online—while praising athletes who dare to show up, suit up, and compete.
“Not the critics… who spout opinions without ever being in the arena,” he wrote. “Kudos to everyone who puts themselves out there. Every single one of our national athletes who proudly dons the colors of the Philippines.”
And now, history backs him up.
“Records are made to be broken,” Obiena said. “But victories and titles remain forever.”
With this gold, Philippine pole vaulting has officially won every single Asian championship title available—SEA Games, Asian Games, Asian Championships, and Asian Indoors. A full sweep. No asterisks.
The medals shine. The titles endure. And EJ Obiena? He’s no longer chasing history.
He’s completed it.
