It’s a Gold Three-Peat for EJ Obiena and Carlos Yulo in the SEA Games
They stay winning since 2019.
(SPOT.ph) The current face of Philippine sports did not disappoint at the biennial multi-sport event we call Southeast Asian Games.
Gymnast Carlos Yulo and pole vaulter EJ Obiena delivered the Philippines' 16th and 19th gold medal, respectively, at the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games at the Morodok Techo Stadium in Cambodia.
From the Philippines to Vietnam to Cambodia, both Filipino athletes mined three gold medals at the past three runs of the SEA Games.
Also read: EJ Obiena Is Now World's Fifth Best Pole Vaulter
How EJ Obiena and Carlos Yulo did in SEA Games 2023
This is Obiena’s third gold but his fourth time to break SEA Games record at the Men’s Pole Vault. The event was postponed for more than an hour due to heavy rainfall but that didn’t stop Obiena and his golden momentum. He braved the Monday rain to clear 5.65 meters and beat his previous mark of 5.46 meters in Vietnam in 2021.
Obiena was also reported to have put his customized Puma shoes up for auction to raise funds for kids who want to train in a pole vault facility in Tuguegarao City.
Meanwhile, Yulo claimed his third consecutive gold medal in the men’s individual gymnastics, the first in 2019 and the second in 2021. He scored high across several categories: 15 in vault, 14.95 in parallel bars, 14.35 in floor exercise, 14.15 in still rings, 12.9 in horizontal bar, and 12.65 in pommel horse.
Led by Yulo, the Philippine Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Team landed a silver win for the men's team event with Juancho Miguel Besana, John Ivan Cruz and Jann Gwyn Timbang.
As of 4 p.m. on May 9, Team Philippines has a medal tally of 20 gold, 31 silver, and 33 bronze. The country remains in the fifth rank for the 32nd SEA Games, behind Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia.
Also read: World-Class, Indeed: Carlos Yulo Lands on Forbes' 30 Under 30 List