Obiena-Lafferty combination a true gold standard

MANILA, Philippines — When two winners meet, it always ends up beautifully and results in a second to none situation. Asian pole vault king Ernest John “EJ” Obiena and longtime adviser James Michael Lafferty have been together through thick and thin over the past decade; and prior to Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games men’s pole vault competition the two had their own playful competition challenging one another. A mere two days before EJ’s title-retention drive in Asian Games, Lafferty would be competing also in the Raw Powerlifting World Championships 2026 men’s 60-64 age group division in Ashland, Virginia, USA with a promise that Obiena needed to match. “I am so really happy for EJ for retaining the gold in the Asian Games plus resetting a new Asiad record. And I knew, I believed that he could do it of course, so we made a deal. If I won the gold in powerlifting, EJ had to win the gold as well at the Asian Games,” Lafferty, 63, said. “The loser, if there is one, would pay for a dinner in Dubai in October.” Lafferty captured three gold medals in men’s 60-64 age group, dominating the strict arm curl, bench press, and push pull, which is a bench...