EJ Obiena kept his Asian Games crown, but his latest triumph was about more than defending a title. Once again, he pushed the standard higher in the continent.
Three years removed from his last record-setting performance at the quadrennial showcase, Obiena entered the 20th Asian Games with modest expectations of producing another record-breaking performance.
He entered the men's pole vault as the defending champion and the world's No. 11-ranked athlete in the field, making him the clear favorite on paper. Yet his inconsistent performances over the past three years had raised questions about whether he could rediscover his best form in Aichi-Nagoya.
On Tuesday, Obiena answered those questions emphatically.
The 30-year-old defended his Asian Games title in record-breaking fashion, clearing 5.91 meters to set a new competition record and surpass his previous mark of 5.90 meters -- which he set in Hangzhou in 2023.
The victory also gave the Philippines its third gold medal of the Asian Games, following Carlos Yulo's victories in the men's floor exercise and vault.
Obiena matched his season-best mark of 5.91 meters, which he previously achieved at the Golden Sand, Promenada Gwiazd meet in Miedzyzdroje, Poland this past August.
"I'm satisfied," Obiena -- whose personal best is 6.00 meters -- set in 2023, said after the win. "If there's a word to summarize, that's 'I'm satisfied'."
For a moment, however, Obiena appeared destined to settle for a lower mark.
After missing his first two attempts at 5.80 meters, he looked poised to finish at 5.75 meters, which would have been enough to secure the gold medal.
But with his remaining rivals already finished with their final attempts, Obiena took a leap of faith.
He went for 5.91 meters, the highest mark of his season and a height he had never cleared in an Asian Games competition.
"I'm cramping up, but I think I had a good jump in me. I said I'd rather take that risk and try to jump [5.91 meters]," Obiena said.
When Obiena landed after clearing the bar, the moment seemed to release three years of uncertainty all at once. He screamed for nearly 15 seconds as Filipino fans inside the stadium erupted alongside him.
When asked if the prime EJ Obiena was finally back, the veteran pole vaulter offered a different answer. He believes he is better.
"No, I'm better. That's for sure," he said. "I'm getting smarter, like I'm kind of a veteran. I feel actually pretty good."
China's Yao Jie won the silver medal, while 23-year-old compatriot Li Chenyang took bronze. The 35-year-old Yao got the upper hand in the countback after both Chinese athletes cleared 5.70 meters.
Thailand's Amsaramng Patsapong finished fourth with a season-best 5.60 meters, while Qatar's Seifeldin Abdelsalam placed fifth with a 5.50-meter mark.
Yet for Obiena, the number on the scoreboard was only part of what made the night special, and he still holds his 2023 Asian Games performance in higher regard.
"The first one is definitely special. More special than this," he said. "The emotional high of a first is definitely something. But this one is, I feel like it's a bit of a reborn, a little bit of a different me. And with that, I'm satisfied.
"It doesn't mean that I'm not happy. Just that, you know, the first emotion is different. It's different. This one is: I'm happy, I'm ecstatic, as you can see. But, yeah, it doesn't linger as long as it used to be."
Perhaps that is because Obiena is no longer chasing the same version of himself.
Obiena believes he is in a happier place mentally, something that may have allowed him to rediscover what made pole vault enjoyable in the first place.
"To be honest, I think I've found a little bit of a different perspective about my event, the things that I do. I'm enjoying it again," he said.
"I'm happy to be going in training. I'm happy to be here. I'm happy to train. I'm happy to compete. I'm happy to take the risk. It's the highs and lows of the sport. And with that said, you know, I don't think I need to change anything.
"I just need to figure this out, still understand what exactly I am feeling and why exactly I am happy. Why exactly am I looking forward to these things? With that, you know, it kind of ingrains and roots my being and the way I approach my day-to-day."