Foregone conclusion

EJ Obiena accomplished the mission possible, probable and inevitable. The world silver medalist did not disappoint. He vaulted to gold in the Asiad. Expectedly, but it was extra special just the same. It is the country’s first track and field Asian Games title since Lydia de Vega dashed to the century gold in 1986. The only member in the exclusive 6-meter club likewise ended almost three decades of medal drought for athletics since Elma Muros long jumped to bronze in 1994.

Confident of what he can do, Obiena refused to dignify the first five heights too familiar for his muscle memory. Why would the pride of Tondo, Manila start low when he is ranked world number two? He knows he is on top of the game. For when he jumped, half of the opposition was gone. He leapt 5.55m as a matter of routine, skipped 5.65m as a matter of strategy and cleared 5.75m as a matter of golden certainty.

Was it all that mattered? Not yet, from there EJ was left alone to blight the height and fight his own might. Against a token opposition, he jumped 5.90m to set a new games record. He tried 6.02m to better his personal best as a birthday present to his coach. But the supposed present has to await the future. Accustomed to winning however, especially in the world’s largest continent, EJ deflected his achievement by self-deprecating. He said that for the first time in his career, he felt like a villain for stealing the gold medal from the Chinese jumper who ended up in sliver, er, silver.

Of course the articulate Obiena was just being polite. Filipinos generally are, meek even, until fake news and trolls in social media empowered the dumb, the stupid and the rude. It’s not that they should be denied the platform. No one should be, in the name of democracy. What they should be denied of is the opportunity to flatten the form of the once discerning people through lies and deception. For while before they were silent about thievery in the dead of the night, now they are rooting for robbery in broad daylight.

Obviously, the first Filipino to qualify for Paris just tried to assuage frustration of the Chinese crowd who cheered him on even if he was against their own. Exactly why EJ became more magnanimous in victory, almost apologetic, for stealing the thunder from powerhouse China that dominated almost all fronts like it was their private playground. But at least, the Filipino jumper stole Chinese glory fair and square, not their territory by the square meter.