A victory in front of his countrymen served as the perfect finish for Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena, who had endured a tough season this year.
A little over a week after missing the finals of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, Obiena put on a show in front of his fellow Filipinos in his home event — the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge.
Obiena wound up topping the podium on Sunday, September 21, after clearing 5.80-meters — the same height cleared by France’s Thibaut Collet. Obiena needed just two tries to get the job done, however, while Collet needed three.
“I’m happy, really. I’m thankful. You took it easy for me. I was at the mercy of Thibaut,” said Obiena, the World No. 7 pole vaulter. “All these guys actually had a good season. I think every one of you guys beat me in the world championships in Tokyo a few days ago.”
“I’m so happy for a bit of a comeback win, a really good way to end the season, and a fairytale finish, I would say,” he added.
Just last September 13, Obiena had placed 11th in the qualifiers for the world championships after clearing 5.55 meters and missed out on the final that was sensationally won by world record-holder Mondo Duplantis.
Prior to the worlds, Obiena had returned to action at the World Athletics Continental Tour in China earlier in September, clearing 5.65 meters for bronze. Before the China tilt, he last competed in July in Monaco, placing seventh with a mark of 5.72 meters.
By his own admission, the 2025 season had been “tough” for Obiena, who dealt with a back injury after the Paris Olympics that forced him to take some time off.
“When I got back, I wanted to catch up. I knew I lost a lot, and I think that’s the wrong approach,” he explained.
In his eagerness to get back on track, Obiena admittedly “made a couple of mistakes” that caused issues in his back and hamstring. There were also certain competitions that he had to miss due to visa problems.
“We learned from it,” he said.
Collet could have denied Obiena the win, but the Frenchman failed to clear 5.90 meters in his final attempt.
Instead, Obiena’s leap over 5.80 meters in his second try proved to be the winning moment, much to the elation and relief of the Filipino Olympian.
“I was like, ‘Oh God, after all this, all the crowd, if I … if it happens, if I lose, what face would I have?’ But that pushed me to the edge, and really gave my best performance of the year, I would say,” he said.
“I think that’s one of the best jumps I had this year. I’m really happy, and tired also,” he added.
The victory was the cherry on top of a successful event for Obiena, who said after last year’s Summer Games that he wanted to hold a pole vault event in the Philippines to bring the sport closer to local fans.
The competition was a success, with the crowd appreciating the feats of athleticism while the pole vaulters hailed the atmosphere and energy provided by the Filipino fans.
“My dream is to have this on a much, much smaller scale, to be honest. I am really surprised at how big the crowd is, the lines and the security. As I said, the professionalism, the field itself is incredible,” Obiena said of the event.
“I think it couldn’t have been better ending to my season, truly,” he added. (ABS-CBN News)