World No. 4 pole vaulter EJ Obiena is out to bag a 3rd straight gold medal within the ultimate of the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, tomorrow with Chinese language bets Bokai Huang and Li Chenyang anticipated to problem the Filipino for high honors.
Seven Chinese language vaulters are ranked on the earth’s high 100 with Bokai, 28, the best at No. 15. The others are No. 24 Li Chenyang, 22, No. 38 Jie Yao, 34, No. 74 Yeng Chen, 24, No. 76 Riu Liu, 20, No. 82 Haoyang Music, 22 and No. 99 Tao Zhong, 22. The subsequent highest-ranked Filipino is No. 301 Hocket de los Santos, 22.
5 extra Asians are ranked on the earth’s high 100. They’re Saudi Arabia’s No. 38 Hussein Asim Al Hizam, 27, Qatar’s No. 70 Seifeldin Heneida Abdesalam, 20 and Japan’s No. 83 Tamoya Karasawa, 23, No. 84 Masaki Eijima, 26 and No. 95 Shingo Sawa, 28.
Bokai has improved his Olympic jumps from 5.45m in Rio de Janeiro to five.50m in Tokyo and to his private better of 5.80m in Paris. The Chinese language file of 5.85m is held by Li who posted it in Caen, France, final February. Li certified for the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing final March and completed in a tie for eighth with a soar of 5.50m. Jie competed on the 2016 and 2024 Olympics. A 2018 Asian Video games silver medalist, he’s within the twilight of an extended worldwide profession that began on the Universiade in 2011. In Paris, Jie recorded a leap of 5.60m, beneath his private better of 5.82m. Tao has posted a clearance of 5.75m, fourth highest among the many seven Chinese language high 100 vaulters, however is the bottom ranked at No. 99.
Obiena, 29, is the one Asian who has cleared 6.00m and did it twice. This season, Li leads Asia’s high performers as Obiena’s greatest was 5.80m. However Obiena holds the Asian Championships meet file of 5.91m which he set in Bangkok in 2023 for the gold. Within the earlier Asian competitors in Doha in 2019, he additionally hit paydirt with a clearance of 5.71m. Obiena’s first look on the Asian Championships was in India in 2017 when he took the bronze with a soar of 5.50m.
PATAFA secretary-general Jasper Tanhueco mentioned there is no such thing as a qualifying normal for the Asian Championships. “No qualifying normal but but it surely’s anticipated to be launched within the subsequent version (in Xiamen in 2027),” he famous. Tanhueco mentioned the beginning checklist for tomorrow’s ultimate might be recognized at present. Every nation is allowed two vaulters. Obiena and De los Santos will characterize the Philippines.
“The ultimate checklist will solely be obtainable the day earlier than the occasion,” mentioned Tanhueco. “That is an space championships and participation will assist to earn factors or qualify for the World Championships (in Tokyo on Sept. 13-21).” The qualifying pole vault mark for Tokyo is 5.82m and the reckoning interval is from Aug. 1, 2024 to Aug. 24, 2025.