Home fans help Obiena craft perfect end to season
EJ Obiena had one dream: to bring world-class pole vaulting to the Philippines. On Sunday, that dream soared above 5.80 meters—and landed in gold.
Before a raucous crowd gathered at Ayala Triangle Gardens for the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge, Obiena already felt like a winner. He had helped bring an international competition home. That alone was enough.
But then, home fans made it even more special.
“You guys have made this dream come true—and made it even better,” Obiena told the cheering fans who had braved the elements and the city to watch him fly. “Hopefully, we can do this next year again. I’m looking forward to winning one more on the house.”
The event, the first of its kind in Manila, drew nine elite vaulters from around the world, but none more energized than the hometown hero from Tondo. With a clearance of 5.80 meters, Obiena edged France’s Thibaut Collet on a countback and claimed the gold medal—his first since a disappointing finish at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
“This was a dream I had on a much smaller scale,” Obiena said, smiling through fatigue. “To see the crowd, the lines, the security—it exceeded anything I imagined.”
Victory didn’t come easy. Obiena and Collet both aimed for the 5.90m mark after early misses, but neither could clear it. In the end, Obiena’s fewer attempts at 5.80m gave him the edge. Poland’s Piotr Lisek took bronze with a 5.60m clearance.
Still, the numbers were secondary to what the day meant.
“For a first-time competition, you usually don’t get this kind of turnout or energy,” Obiena said. “It could’ve turned into a nightmare, but it ended up being the perfect close to my season.”
The event also offered a glimpse into the future of Philippine pole vaulting. One lane over, 19-year-old Hokett Delos Santos—granted a wild card slot after winning the national challenge the day before—struggled against the seasoned field. He didn’t clear a single height. But that wasn’t the point.
“What we lack is competition,” Obiena said. “Hokett has the heart. This is just the beginning for him.”
