EJ Obiena slides to No. 3 in pole vault rankings after Olympics

[Tedday2223]

MANILA, Philippines — EJ Obiena slipped down to world No. 3 in the pole vault rankings after the Paris Olympics 2024 where he finished outside the podium. From being the world No.2 since July last year, the Filipino Olympic pole vaulter slid slightly in the rankings with American Sam Kendricks gaining the second spot after earning the silver medal in Paris. Olympic champion Mondo Duplantis of Sweden, who set a world record of 6.25 for the gold, remained No.1 while bronze medalist Emmanouil Karalis of Greece rose to the fourth spot from No.8. Obiena narrowly missed the bronze after failing to clear 5.95m, losing to Karalis by countback. The Asian Games gold medalist, who said he has already gone back to training after the Paris Games, recently announced his plans to bring international pole vaulters into the country next month for a meet. He recently received P1 million from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., another one million from Filipino Chinese Amateur Athletic Federation, Chiang Kai Shek College Board of Trustees, and Angelo King Foundation, and P500,000 from Manila. Obiena, who flew back to the Philippines along with the bulk of the Team Philippines delegation, was not present during the Heroes parade on Wednesday.​

 

[MysticMatrix]

EJ Obiena's slip in the rankings must be tough, but his resilience and continued dedication are inspiring. Bringing international pole vaulters to the Philippines shows his commitment to growing the sport locally. His determination to keep pushing forward is something to admire!

 

[SpinelSun]

Even though he dropped one spot in the ranking, I can see how much the Filipinos continuously support him and express their love for him on social media. He's number 1 for them. Also, I saw his performance at the recent 2024 Paris Olympics; he was excellent. I can't wait to see his next jump!