No one knew Obiena was bleeding

NAGOYA – It should have been a miserable night for pole vault. It ended as a glorious day in September rain.

Morning rain had made the runway at Mizuho Park slick. During practice, EJ Obiena slipped and fell, scraping his left arm raw.

“I tripped and fell. But it is what it is,” he said.

By final time at 7:20 p.m., 12 men were left in the cold. One by one they fell away. China’s Yao Jie and Li Chenyang both stopped at 5.70 meters for silver and bronze.

Obiena didn’t. He cleared 5.50, 5.60 and 5.75 meters – all on first attempts. At 5.75, he was alone.

Gold was his. His second straight Asian Games title after Hangzhou 2023, and the third gold for the Philippines in Aichi-Nagoya 2026.

He had missed twice at 5.80. He was cramping, bleeding, but he asked for more.

“I told my coach, I think I have one more in me, Games record,” he said. “I have a good jump in me, but probably I have one. So I said, I’d rather take that risk and try 5.91.”

On his final attempt of the night, soaked and stinging, he planted, soared, and rewrote his own record.

He landed and screamed as Filipino fans erupted inside the stadium.

“I’m tired, man. I’m satisfied,” he said in the mixed zone, still dripping wet. “If there’s a word to summarize, that’s ‘I’m satisfied.’”

Asked if the old prime EJ was back, the 30-year-old shook his head. “No, I’m better. I’m getting smarter, like I’m kind of a veteran.”

He said the first Asian Games gold will always be more special. “This one is, I feel like it’s a bit of a reborn, a little bit of a different me.”

The rebirth is not about height. “I’ve found a different perspective. I’m enjoying it again. I’m happy to be going to training, I’m happy to compete, I’m happy to take the risks.”

It was his 10th win since January after a year lost to the spine injury that left him fourth in Paris. For now, he said, rest and vacation.

After that, the long road to LA 2028 begins, where at 32 turning 33, an Olympic medal remains the one blank on a resume that already has everything else.