MANILA, Philippines – EJ Obiena has proven time and again that he is the undisputed pole vault king of Asia, but he knows he has his work cut out if he wants to conquer the world in the Paris Olympics.

Obiena said he is far from satisfied despite defending his crown in the Asian Athletics Championships following another record-breaking performance in Bangkok, Thailand on Sunday, July 17.

He cleared 5.91m to smash his previous Asian championships record of 5.71m, which he set four years ago when he ruled the event for the first time in Doha, Qatar.

“I’m currently still not amazed. I think I’m capable of doing more and doing better,” Obiena told reporters on Monday, July 17, in an online press conference just before his flight out of Istanbul, Turkey as he returns to Europe.

Obiena has enjoyed a successful outdoor season so far.

He started it by completing his three-peat in the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia in May then became the first Asian to break the six-meter barrier a month after when he ruled the Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway.

Earlier this July, Obiena joined world record holder and reigning Olympic champion Armand Duplantis as the first pole vaulters to qualify for Paris by clearing the entry standard of 5.82m in the BAUHAUS-galan in Sweden.

A consistent force, the 27-year-old from Tondo has not missed the podium in all of the eight events he participated in and hurdled at least 5.80m in five of them.

The Olympics, though, is a different beast.

Even with a year to go before Paris, Duplantis has established himself as the heavy favorite for a second straight Olympic gold after resetting his world record with a 6.22m jump in February.

The rest of the field have also improved, with the likes of USA’s KC Lightfoot (6.07m), Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen (6.00m), and Australia’s Kurtis Marschall (5.95m) all notching personal-best marks this year.

Of course, there are 2020 Tokyo silver medalist Chris Nilsen and 2016 Rio de Janeiro bronze medalist Sam Kendricks of the United States.

“There are still a lot of things that I need to do and accomplish before Paris,” said Obiena.

Up next for Obiena is the Meeting Herculis EBS – the Monaco leg of the Diamond League – where he will go up against Duplantis, Nilsen, Lightfoot, Kendricks, Guttormsen, and Marschall on Friday, July 21.

There, Obiena looks to contend for the title and earn enough points to wrest the second spot in the world rankings from Nilsen.

Obiena sits at No. 3 in the world rankings with 1,422 points, just a point behind Nilsen. – Rappler.com