EJ Obiena focused on vaulting back to lofty ranking

Philippines’ EJ Obiena competes in the men’s pole vault final of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 5, 2024. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)

EJ Obiena, the Philippines’ pole vault sensation, is determined to bounce back after slipping to No. 4 in the men’s pole vault world rankings.

The two-time Olympian, who spent over a year as the world’s No. 2 behind Olympic champion and world record holder Armand Duplantis, remains optimistic about his future.

READ: EJ Obiena slides to No. 4 in world pole vault rankings

“All I can do is bounce back,” said Obiena, currently training in Saudi Arabia with Hussain Al-Hizam under renowned Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov. Obiena is gearing up for the indoor season opener in Germany later this month.

“That’s just life. I missed almost half of the season last year and was almost injured,” said Obiena, Asia’s top vaulter and a member of the elite six-meter club.

The 29-year-old from Tondo, Manila, narrowly missed a podium finish at the 2024 Paris Olympics, placing fourth behind Duplantis, who claimed his second consecutive gold. American Sam Kendricks and Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis took silver and bronze, respectively, later overtaking Obiena in the world rankings.

READ: EJ Obiena’s ‘dream’ pole vaulting facility set to open in Laoag

“I’m leaving those memories behind by focusing on getting back and training,” said Obiena, who suffered a stress fracture in his spine last year.

Obiena’s 2025 calendar is packed with high-profile events, including the World Athletics Indoor Championships in China in March, the Asian Championships in South Korea in May and the World Championships in Tokyo in September.