Formerly World No. 3 on the Men’s Pole Vault Rankings, EJ Obiena has climbed one spot higher to reach a new level for the Philippines.
EJ Obiena is having himself a year.
He blew through a successful medal haul during the indoor season, he defended his gold medal and set a new meet record at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games, he became the first Filipino and Asian pole vaulter to clear six meters, and he became the first Filipino to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
This string of successes earned EJ Obiena 1,432 ranking points. With this, from his previous standing of World No. 3 on the Men’s Pole Vault Rankings, he jumped one spot higher to overtake American Chris Nilsen on the standings.
EJ Obiena is now World No. 2!
“Your very own skinny kid from Tondo, alumni of CKSC and UST, is now WORLD NUMBER TWO,” EJ proudly announced on his social media platforms.
“Thank you to everyone who made this possible, and my deepest gratitude to those who went to war so that I could continue this dream. This is not just my accomplishment alone, but everyone’s.”
This historic achievement comes off the heels of his recent title win at the Asian Athletics Championships, where he cleared a new record of 5.91 meters.
Sitting at World No. 2, EJ now trails the defending Olympic champion and world record holder, Mondo Duplantis, who currently has 1,569 ranking points.
“This dreamer dares to dream,” he added on his social media announcement.
EJ Obiena has never shied away from expressing himself as an athlete and as an individual, and he often talks about his dream of winning an Olympic medal for the Philippines. Having reached this career-high ranking is an incredible accomplishment that will definitely boost his confidence as he continues his journey to Paris 2024.
Banner image from EJ Obiena on Instagram.
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