EJ Obiena Set to Compete Against World’s Best at Athletics Championships in Tokyo

Sports | Pole Vault Posted on 2025-09-10 01:34:26

MANILA – Filipino pole vault star Ernest John “EJ” Obiena will take on the world’s elite as he joins 28 competitors in the men’s pole vault event at the World Athletics Championships set for September 13–21 at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.

The Asian Championships record-holder (5.90m) and three-time Southeast Asian Games champion enters the tournament ranked world No. 7. Obiena has consistently cleared 5.80m this season at top meets, including the Orlen Copernicus Cup in Poland (February), the PATAFA Pole Vault Challenge (May), and Meeting Madrid in Spain (July).

Most recently, Obiena captured a bronze medal with a 5.65m vault at the World Athletics Continental Tour in Beijing. “Not the result I was hoping for, but I learned a few things and hope I can make the adjustments,” Obiena said.

Before heading to Tokyo, he will test his form at the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge in Makati City, where he will compete alongside top-ranked international vaulters such as world No. 5 Ersu Sasma of Turkey, world No. 6 Menno Vloon of the Netherlands, and several other global contenders—all of whom are also slated for the Tokyo championships.

Leading the Tokyo field is Swedish superstar Armand Duplantis, the reigning Olympic champion and world record-holder (6.29m), followed by Greece’s Emmanouli Karalis (world No. 2), USA’s Sam Kendricks (world No. 3), and Australia’s Kurtis Marschall (world No. 4).

With the world’s best gathered, Obiena is aiming not just to represent the Philippines but to challenge for a spot on the podium.

NPO News Team I PNA-PR

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