Camille Naredo

Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena celebrates during the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge, September 21, 2025 at the Ayala Triangle. Photo courtesy of Rolly Barayang

Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena celebrates during the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge, September 21, 2025 at the Ayala Triangle.

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Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758539441236AA WPVC-4340-September 21, 2025_embed.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena celebrates during the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge, September 21, 2025 at the Ayala Triangle. Photo courtesy of Rolly Barayang"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena celebrates during the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge, September 21, 2025 at the Ayala Triangle. <em>Photo courtesy of Rolly Barayang</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- A victory in front of his countrymen served as the perfect finish for Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena, who had endured a tough season in 2025. </p><p>A little over a week after missing the final 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.</p><p>Obiena wound up topping Sunday&#x27;s podium after clearing 5.80-meters -- the same height cleared by France&#x27;s Thibaut Collet. Obiena needed just two tries to get the job done, however, while Collet needed three.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2025/9/21/ej-obiena-puts-on-a-show-rules-home-pole-vault-competition-1810">READ: EJ Obiena puts on a show, rules home pole vault competition</a></div><p>&quot;I&#x27;m happy, really. I&#x27;m thankful. You took it easy for me. I was at the mercy of Thibaut today,&quot; said Obiena, the world&#x27;s No. 7 pole vaulter. &quot;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.&quot;</p><p>&quot;I&#x27;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,&quot; he added.</p><p>Just last September 13, Obiena had placed 11th in the qualifiers of the world championships after clearing 5.55-m and missed out on the final that was sensationally won by world record-holder Mondo Duplantis.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2025/9/13/pole-vault-ej-obiena-misses-out-on-2025-world-athletics-final-2117">READ: EJ Obiena misses out on 2025 World Athletics Final</a></div><p>Prior to the worlds, Obiena had returned to action at the <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2025/9/8/pole-vault-ej-obiena-bags-bronze-in-world-athletics-continental-tour-2115">World Athletics Continental Tour</a> in China earlier in September, clearing 5.65-m for bronze. Before the China tilt, he last competed in July in Monaco, placing seventh with a mark of 5.72-m.</p><p>By his own admission, the 2025 season had been &quot;tough&quot; for Obiena, who dealt with a back injury after the Paris Olympics that forced him to take some time off.</p><p>&quot;When I got back, I wanted to catch up. I knew I lost a lot, and I think that&#x27;s the wrong approach. Sometimes you keep knocking on the door, sometimes you break it,&quot; he explained. &quot;A little pain here and there, little injury, it derails your program. It derails your plan.&quot;</p><p>In his eagerness to get back on track, Obiena admittedly &quot;made a couple of mistakes here and there&quot; that caused issues in his back and  hamstring. There were also certain competitions that he had to miss due to visa problems.</p><p>&quot;Me and my team made a mistake. We learned from it. Again, I&#x27;m happy that I&#x27;m able to compete here at the best of my abilities for this season,&quot; he said. &quot;That&#x27;s why I really am happy to win this because I know I&#x27;m not in the best shape of my life.&quot;</p><p>Collet could have denied Obiena the win, but the Frenchman failed to clear 5.90-m in his final attempt.</p><p>Instead, Obiena&#x27;s leap over 5.80-m in his second try proved to be the winning moment, much to the elation and relief of the Filipino Olympian.</p><p>&quot;Things were running in my head, I was like, &#x27;Oh God, after all this, all the crowd, if I … if it happens, if I lose, what face would I have?&#x27; But that pushed me to the edge, and really gave my best performance of the year, I would say,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;I think that&#x27;s one of the best jumps I had this year. Yeah, I&#x27;m really happy, and tired also,&quot; he added.</p><p>The victory was the cherry on top of a successful event for Obiena, who said after last year&#x27;s Summer Games that he wanted to hold a pole vault event in the Philippines to bring the sport closer to local fans. </p><p>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. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/22/international-stars-hail-amazing-philippine-crowd-in-world-pole-vault-challenge-1805">READ: International stars hail &#x27;amazing&#x27; Philippine crowd in World Pole Vault Challenge</a></div><p>&quot;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,&quot; Obiena said of the event. </p><p>&quot;I think it couldn&#x27;t have been better ending to my season, truly,&quot; he added. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m9thhc1la-I?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>A victory in front of his countrymen served as the perfect finish for Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena, who had endured a tough season in 2025. </p>

A victory in front of his countrymen served as the perfect finish for Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena, who had endured a tough season in 2025.

Home victory is 'fairytale finish' for EJ Obiena after tough season

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Home victory is 'fairytale finish' for EJ Obiena after tough season

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 23, 2025 08:00 AM PHT

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