Obiena wish comes true with pole vault event
EJ Obiena is only a few hours away from realizing the dream of a lifetime.
On Sunday at Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati, the Philippines will play host to the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge and for Obiena, it doesn’t even matter if he ends up winning the event or not.
“I think everybody’s looking forward to jumping tomorrow but on a personal side, this has been a dream of mine for quite some time,” he said a day before the historic event.
“I’m very thankful to all the sponsors who made sure this actually happens. We’re able to pull it off so I thank everyone who said yes to take part in such an event.”
The Atletang Ayala event will be the first global pole vaulting competition in Manila and Obiena isn’t the only athlete excited about it.
American jumper Austin Miller feels ecstatic not just to compete in Manila but also to end his yearlong season in a place with “incredible energy.”
“There couldn’t be a more perfect place to end this season. Our season goes from January to October at this point. That’s ten months of jumping, staying focused and keeping your body at a peak physical level.” Miller said.
“When we get incredible energy like we’re getting now, it is a second source of fuel that we need at this point in the season,” he added.
Joining Miller and Obiena in the pole vault competition are Paris Olympians Thibaut Collet (France), Ben Broeders (Belgium), Piotr Lisek (Poland), Ersu Sasma (Turykiye), Oleg Zernikel (Germany) and Menno Vloon (Netherlands).
Miller’s fellow American jumper Matt Ludwig will also compete, rounding out a star-studded nine-man pool.
Whatever happens after Sunday, Obiena made it clear that he wants it to be a yearly thing for the Philippines and the pole vault scene as a whole.
“The plan is to have this every year, keep inviting the world-class vaulters here in our country and showcase the hospitality that Filipinos have,” the two-time Olympian said. “We want to get [them] the recognition and attention they deserve, treat them with professionalism in the event.”
The Tondo native almost finished on the podium of the 2024 Paris Olympics, all while bagging medals around the world in numerous competitions.
