String of consistent performances fuels Obiena’s confidence
NAGOYA—EJ Obiena arrived in Aichi ready to defend his Asian Games pole vault title, anchoring his optimism on a string of consistent performances and his confidence that he is still among the best in the continent.
The 30-year-old, two-time Olympian will face 11 other vaulters in Tuesday’s final at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, three years after setting an Asian Games record to win the gold in Hangzhou.
“I feel good for the season for being consistent at 5.80 meters,” Obiena said. “I hope the weather is nice so I can jump high. I am ready.”
Obiena expects a more difficult competition this time, with several younger vaulters arriving in Nagoya with marks that could challenge him.
“I believe I feel more confident than I was before,” Obiena said. “It is going to be a tougher Asian Games, but I am capable of winning it.”
Obiena cleared 5.90 meters in Hangzhou, breaking the Asian Games record and finishing well ahead of China’s Huang Bokai and Saudi Arabia’s Hussein Asim Al-Hizam, who both cleared 5.65m.
The field has changed since then.
China’s 23-year-old Li Chenyang finished behind Obiena at the 2026 Asian Indoor Championships in Tianjin after clearing 5.60m and owns a personal best of 5.86m.
Qatar’s Seifeldin Abdelsalam, 21, has also emerged as a contender after clearing 5.90m last August in Sopot, Poland, matching the height Obiena cleared for the Asian Games record in Hangzhou.
China’s Yao Jie, with a personal best of 5.82m, and Al-Hizam, whose best is 5.72m, are also in the field along with Japan’s Tomoyawa Karawasa and Masaki Ejima and Thailand’s Patsapong Amsamarng.
Obiena comes into the Asian Games working with poles coach Marcin Szczepanski and physiotherapist Christian Ferdinandi, and after repeatedly clearing around 5.80m this season.
His personal adviser Jim Lafferty believes that form has put Obiena in position for another run at the title.
“He will [win] because he is in good form,” Lafferty said.
Obiena, a four-time Southeast Asian Games champion, has spent the season working on his technique while adjusting to his new coaching setup for his Asian Games title defense.
“I am capable of winning it,” the University of Santo Tomas product said.
