EJ Obiena started jumping with his father, Emerson, at a young age. Now he is a bemedaled, world-class pole vaulter that is looking for Olympic glory at Paris 2024.
Among the Filipino Olympic athletes locking horns in Paris 2024, EJ Obiena is probably the most decorated.
His list of feats include three gold medals from the Southeast Asian Games and a gold from the 2023 Asian Games, just to name a few. The accolades are only expected to keep growing for the 28-year-old ace athlete.
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It’s almost as if the Filipino pole vaulter was born to be great, setting the bar high at a young age.
Obiena started jumping with his father at eight years old, and before he knew it, he was already beating Olympic legends like Thiago Braz and Ranaud Lavillenia.
Currently, EJ is ranked no. 2 in the world just behind Mondo Duplantis, making him a true favorite for a medal in the Olympics.
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But before he takes his act to Paris, let’s a look back at Obiena’s journey to greatness:
2017 - Injury setback
Like Father Time, an injury is also an athlete’s nemesis. Budding superstars like Obiena was not spared from it.
Expected to win a gold medal in the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Obiena suffered a freak accident during practice jumps and ended up tearing his ACL.
Missing out on a medal was tough, but the recovery for that injury was even tougher.
Although rehabilitation and duties in school were taxing, Obiena soldiered on.
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2019 - Comeback season
EJ's comeback in 2019 was highlighted by a stellar Asian Athletics Championships performance that saw him set a new record of 5.71 meters in Doha, Qatar.
Obiena, who was eyeing an Olympic berth in Tokyo 2020 then, eventually won the gold medal.
His Olympic dreams came true five months later after beating the qualifying standard for men’s pole vault of 5.80 meters, clearing 5.81 meters in a pole vaulting meet in Piazza Chiari, Italy.
He became the first Filipino to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
2021 - Tokyo reality check
EJ's Olympic Dream, at least the first one, ended in disappointment.
This after Obiena failed to crack the top 10 of the Tokyo Olympics' pole vault event. He finished 11th as Duplantis lorded over the field.
But life went on after that.
A month later, Obiena recovered from his loss in Tokyo and wrote a then-Asian record when he cleared 5.93 meters to rule the International Golden Roof Challenge In Innsbruck, Austria.
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2022 - Time to rock
He kept it rolling.
Almost a year since his initial Asian record, Obiena rewrote the record books again, clearing 5.94 meters at the World Athletics Championships to become the first Filipino to win a medal in the prestigious tournament.
He received the bronze medal.
2023 - Ascent to superstardom
Apart from completing a SEA Games three-peat and winning a breakthrough Asian Games gold, Obiena marked 2023 by joining the elusive the six-meter club in pole vault.
Obiena zoomed past six meters to conquer the Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway, wiping out his 5.94-meter Asian record at the World Athletics Championships a year before.
The PSA Athlete of the Year also pocketed a silver in the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
After a stellar year, Obiena leapfrogged Chris Nilsen and rose to no. 2 in the world rankings, the highest mark of his career.
From his initial defeat in Tokyo 2020, EJ Obiena cleared as many hurdles as he can, setting up a second Olympic shot at Paris 2024 with one more clear bar to surpass. EJ is all set for his jump for gold.
[ALSO READ: EJ Obiena continues Paris 2024 preparations with gold medal in Poland]
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Story Summary:
- EJ Obiena, the standout Filipino pole vaulter, boasts an impressive resume with multiple gold medals from Southeast Asian and Asian Games, highlighting his rise as a global contender.
- Overcoming setbacks like a major knee injury in 2017, Obiena rebounded with a record-breaking comeback in 2019, clinching his first Olympic qualification in Tokyo and setting new benchmarks in his sport.
- After a triumphant 2023 season, including membership in the elite six-meter club and achieving a career-high world ranking of no. 2, Obiena is poised to shine at Paris 2024, aiming to fulfill his Olympic aspirations.
[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital team. The summary was generated by AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]