Ernest John Obiena, representing the Philippines, delivered an exceptional performance. He stood as the walls of China at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, on September 30. The competition took place at 7:05 p.m. at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium. Obiena, who holds the world’s second-ranking position, is expected to have a competitive edge over his Asian counterparts.

He matched his own Asian record by successfully clearing the 6.00-meter height in the pole vault. Previously Obiena secured the silver medal at the World Athletics Championships. Now by claiming the gold medal in the Asian Games, he becomes the first Filipino to achieve this historic milestone. As he conquered the title, Mondo Duplantis’ archfoe received a surprising response from the opposing crowd.

Duplantis’ foe shocks the crowd at Asian Games

The Asian pole vaulter thought that fans would have the opposite reaction. He said, “I had this thought in my head that I needed to prepare for the worst-case scenario, which was going head-to-head with a local athlete and potentially getting booed by 80,000 people. I needed to visualize that scenario and still be able to perform.”

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But to his surprise, they all were cheering for him, which ended up boosting his confidence. “To my surprise, the total opposite happened, with 80,000 people clapping at my signal. “I was instructing them to clap to a certain rhythm, and they followed along. I can’t express how amazing that felt; it’s the largest stadium I’ve ever been in and the biggest crowd I’ve asked to support my jumps, and they did. I’m truly honored to have experienced it,” he shared with Tiebreaker Times.

In July, he clinched victory at the Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok, Thailand. There, he cleared 5.91 meters to defend his title and set a record. Saudi Arabia’s Hussain Asim al-Hizam came in second with 5.56 meters, while China’s Huang Bokai secured a third place with 5.51 meters. None of his competitors have cleared the 6.0 meters mark, which stands as both the Asian record and Obiena’s personal best.

Obiena’s achievements extended further as he set a new Asian Games record. The record stands at 5.90 meters which breaks his own Asian record at 6.02 meters, narrowly missing all three tries.

Duplantis and Obiena soar to victory

Obiena’s most recent competition took place nearly two weeks ago in the Diamond League final in Eugene, Oregon. With flying colors, he secured second place behind the world No. 1, Armand Duplantis of Sweden. During that meet, Obiena cleared 5.82 meters, while Duplantis set a new world record at 6.23 meters. As of the midpoint of the Hangzhou Games, the Philippines has accumulated one silver and six bronze medals in various events.

Also, read- Mondo Duplantis’ Arch Nemesis Sets Sights on Asian Games Glory After Diamond League Silver

Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis, hailing from Sweden, added another world championship title to his name by winning the 2023 World Athletics Championships. Duplantis cleared the 6.00-meter mark and continued to soar over 6.05 meters. Although he narrowly missed out on breaking the world record, he expressed his contentment with the competition and praised his strong competitors.

These two exceptional pole vaulters, Duplantis and Obiena, have showcased their remarkable talents during this season. Duplantis, the world record holder, maintained his dominance. While Obiena solidified his second-place position in the global rankings. Their performances have undoubtedly captivated fans worldwide, highlighting their extraordinary abilities in the pole vault event.

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