The international pole vault competition set for September 20 in the Philippines has been canceled and rescheduled for next year.
“I am truly sorry for this. I and the organizing team worked tirelessly to make this happen; unfortunately, we encountered a few unexpected hurdles, including my fractured vertebrae,” Filipino pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
"The organizing team believes that we won’t be able to adequately deliver the competition to its full potential. I respect their view and expertise as we all want a world class event; thus, we are forced to postpone and plan again,” he added.
The Manila meet was highly anticipated, with Obiena set to compete alongside fellow 2024 Paris Olympics finalists Sam Kendricks, Emmanuel Karalis, and the world’s top pole vaulter, Mondo Duplantis.
On a positive note, the world number 4 and 28-year-old Filipino pole vaulter has announced a meet and greet event, named High Flying Hangout, to be held at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay Activity Center on September 15 at 10 AM.
The event will feature an exhibition and a panel discussion with several international pole vaulters.
