Ernest John Obiena will not only be gunning for a gold medal when he competes in the men’s pole vault event of the 20th Asian Games on Tuesday at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.

He will also shoot for a lofty spot in the annals of Philippine sports history as he aims to become the first Filipino athletics star to retain an Asian Games title in nearly four decades.

All eyes will be on the 30-year-old Obiena when he walks onto the field at 5:20 p.m. as he seeks to become the first Filipino athlete to defend his track and field title in athletics since the legendary Lydia de Vega Mercado did the trick in 1986 in Seoul after winning it the women’s 100-meter gold medal in 1982 in New Delhi.

Aside from De Vega-Mercado, who passed away after losing her battle to breast cancer in 2022, also part of the elite list of back-to-back champions are Inocencia Solis, who won the gold medals in the women’s 100m run in 1954 Manila and 1958 Tokyo Asian Games; Martin Gison, who captured the gold medals in the men’s rapid fire event in 1954 Manila and 1958 Tokyo Asian Games; and the men’s basketball team, who secured a rare four-peat in 1951 New Delhi, 1954 Manila, 1958 Tokyo, 1962 Jakarta editions of the Asian Games.

Now, Obiena has a golden chance to join the legendary circle as he marches to the Asian Games as reigning champion while holding the record of 5.90 meters that he tallied in Hangzhou in 2023.

Philippine Track and Field Athletics Association secretary general Jasper Tanhueco said Obiena is in great form despite slipping to No. 11 in the world ranking. In fact, he displayed a glimpse of his power when he registered his season-best 5.91 meters in the Golden Sand meet in Miedzyzdroje, Poland last August.

“EJ has been consistent. Of course, after his injury in Paris, it was a setback. But little by little, he’s finding his form,” Tanhueco told DAILY TRIBUNE in a previous interview.

“As you can see this year, he has won a lot of gold medals. His ranking is increasing little by little."

Tanhueco also pointed to Obiena’s fighting spirit as one of his biggest strengths heading into the Asiad.

“So, what’s good about this kid is that he’s a fighter. We just hope that, of course, he’s healthy. But definitely, we’re confident with EJ,” Tanhueco said. “So, let’s hope for the best for him.”

On paper, Obiena has a strong case for another gold medal, but several challengers are looking to spoil his title defense.

Hussain Al Hizam of Saudi Arabia looms as a serious medal contender after training under legendary Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov, Obiena’s former mentor before the Filipino moved to Greece last June.

Li Chenyang of China is another threat after finishing second to Obiena at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tianjin, China, last January.

Patsapong Amsam-ang of Thailand also came very close to beating Obiena in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, where he cleared a national-record 5.70 meters but settled for silver on countback.

Meanwhile, Seifeldin Abdelsalam of Qatar, the No. 15 in the world, is also a serious threat after clearing 5.90 meters in the Tyczka Molo Street meet in Poland.