Obiena vows to maintain World No. 2 rank

Metro Manila, Philippines — Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena said on Wednesday he would strive to maintain his world ranking following a heartbreaking loss at the Paris Olympics.

In a virtual press briefing, Obiena said while participating in the LA 2028 Olympics is an aspiration, he is taking the course one day at a time.

The Asian best pole vaulter missed the podium in the Olympics and settled at fourth spot. His performance, however, was much better than his 11th place at the Tokyo 2020 games.

“There's a few competitions lined up for me this season. We'll deliver it and regroup and try to understand the possibilities of all these” Obiena said.

Obiena is currently World No. 2. Olympic silver medalist Sam Kendricks from the US is World No. 3, while record-breaker Armand Duplantis from Sweden is at the top.

Asked about joining the Olympics in 2028, Obiena said he needs time to think about future bids.

“It’s not a question if I can compete. I know I can. But yeah, to be able to say I know I can, what comes with that. That’s tough. That's a long process and if I’m willing to make those sacrifices again, and to be able to live my life, that’s a long decision,” said Obiena.

Spine injury

Meanwhile, Obiena also opened up about his spine injury, which he said affected his preparations for the Paris games.

“It’s a facet problem. It’s a small joint at the back… But it’s not just one facet joint, multiple facet joints and those things have sensory nerves and those nerves get triggered and irritated. And with that, they cause spasm inflammation, restricted movement, and all these things,” he said.

The Asian best pole vaulter said there were days when he couldn't run.

“You feel it when you’re walking, it’s a bit of an issue but you can walk… When it’s really bad, I do remember even jogging. I feel it, I can’t really run,” said Obiena.

James Lafferty, Obiena’s adviser, said the pole vaulter had to undergo a medical procedure ahead of the Olympics.

Obiena said their camp is still clueless about the cause of the injury.

Despite his health issue, the pole vault star believes this didn’t affect him on competition day.

“I don’t think it hindered me from performing on the day of the Paris Olympics… It affected my preparations going in, it affected my consistency, it affected, I think, my overall program going into Paris,” Obiena said.

He said there is a silver lining in his Olympic journey.

“I solidified myself as one of the best pole vaulters at the current time,” Obiena said.