In the realm of pole vaulting, Ernest John "EJ" Obiena stands as a shining star.
Currently ranked as the world's third-best active men's pole vaulter by World Athletics, Obiena's journey to success has been one of perseverance and triumph.
It all started on April 29, 2016, when Obiena secured the Philippine national record in the pole vault by clearing 5.55 meters at the 78th Singapore Open Championships. This achievement marked the beginning of a promising career that would soon elevate him to the global stage.
In a recent interview on RHTV's Matchpoint Exclusive, Obiena reflected on his triumph at the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, where he clinched the gold medal for the third consecutive time.
He expressed his joy in representing his country and bringing home the coveted title, emphasizing the significance of the SEA Games for the Philippines.
"SEA Games is SEA Games and it's very important for the country. Going in, I have one job to do, it's to bring back the gold and I'm happy that I'm able to do so," the pole vault star shared.
However, his celebration was short-lived, as he immediately shifted his focus back to training and preparing for upcoming championships.
"To be honest, I celebrated, it was 1 to 2 hours of happiness and then we're back to work because the day after my competition I need to fly back here in Italy, you know, we have a dream to chase. It's not gonna come to us so I need to train to keep working hard. There's a lot more championship this year," he added.
When asked about his hardest and sweetest victory among the SEA Games titles he has earned, Obiena mentioned the challenging experience in Vietnam as the most difficult.
"Probably the hardest one is in Vietnam, that was last year. Having all that things going on in the background and trying to perform and still compete for the country while a lot of things are fooling around my head," he said.
Yet, he couldn't deny the unparalleled satisfaction of competing in front of his fellow Filipinos, describing it as a rare and cherished opportunity for any athlete.
"The most memorable would be, you know, nothing beats jumping in front of a whole crowd in the Philippines. That's a rare opportunity for an athlete to compete in front of your kababayan," Obiena continued.
As the world's third-best pole vaulter
Being ranked as the world's third-best pole vaulter is a remarkable feat, but he remains driven to achieve even more.
He humbly acknowledged his current position but expressed his ambition to climb higher in the rankings.
"It's good, it's nice. I'd never thought I will be world's number 3, I never thought I would do what I've done. But at the same time there's always a thing I want to achieve. It's nice to be world's number 3 but its better to be world's number 2, [and] it's better to be world's number 1," he explained.
Tokyo Olympics defeat
While Obiena's journey has been marked by achievements and triumphs, he also faced a major setback during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Admitting it to be the most painful defeat of his career, he shared the emotional turmoil he experienced, questioning his abilities and feeling the weight of disappointment.
"The worst would be Tokyo Olympics because I knew I was capabe of podium. It was tough because I crumble and crashed the entire essence of my athlete life. I'm always like, I might not built for this, I might not like be capable of doing this," Obiena said looking back to the lowest points in his career.
The year 2022 became a turning point for Obiena.
Throughout the year, he amassed an impressive collection of 17 medals, with an astounding 12 of them being gold.
This resurgence reaffirmed his status as one of the world's finest pole vaulters and showcased his unwavering spirit.
To know more about Obiena's journey as the world's third-rank pole vaulter, watch his full interview at Matchpoint Exclusive:
