Paris Olympic Spotlight: EJ Obiena (pole vault)

MANILA, Philippines – The first Filipino to punch a ticket to Paris, pole vault star EJ Obiena is headed to his second straight Olympics. 

The 28-year-old Obiena, currently the world’s No. 2 pole vaulter, was able to clinch the seat to the quadrennial meet after grabbing a silver medal in the Wanda Diamond League’s Bauhaus Galan in July last year. 

Standing in Obiena’s way to an Olympic gold medal is still Sweden’s Armand Duplantis. The reigning Olympic champion remains above the competition. 

Obiena, though, already defeated Duplantis twice since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics — in Brussels, Belgium in 2022, and the Wanda Diamond League’s Monaco leg last year. 

Last Obiena, he also clinched the Philippines’ first gold medal of the Hangzhou Asian Games. 

While he encountered some problems with his poles a couple of months ago, he returned to peak form and snagged two gold medals and a silver medal in his past competitions.

Watch Obiena vault to Olympiad immortality on August 6, at 1 a.m. (Manila time).