Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena exclusive: “This is a fairytale dreamland story”

When it’s put to Filipino pole vault star Ernest John (EJ) Obiena that this is arguably the greatest sporting era for his nation, he doesn’t need to wait for the question to reach its conclusion to give his enthusiastic response.

“Thank you! Finally, someone acknowledged that we’re in a golden age for Philippines sports,” the 27-year-old exclaimed in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com during the Asian Games.

In recent years, Filipino athletes have risen to dominate a number of sports, with weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, who became the country’s first Olympic gold medallist at Tokyo 2020, and double world artistic gymnastics gold medallist Carlos Yulo just two of the country’s sportspeople shining on the world stage.

Obiena is without a doubt the face of athletics in his country. The silver medal he won in August’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest was the first in the history of his nation and saw him move one step up the podium from the bronze he claimed at last year’s Worlds in Oregon.

But, in Obiena’s eyes, none of these accomplishments would be possible without a forerunner such as Diaz who has shown the people of the Philippines that anything is possible in sport.

“With that spark, it pretty much says that all Filipinos can be worth that,” he said of Diaz’s historic Olympic gold. “So people are breaking barriers to continue pursuing greatness because someone has made it. She broke the ice.

“You know, credit where credit is due, I’m standing on the shoulder of a titan.”

• Asian Games: Overall medal table
• 19th Asian Games Hangzhou preview and schedule

EJ Obiena on his duel with world record holder Mondo Duplantis: "It's tough"

This isn’t just a golden age in Filipino sport, it’s also a golden age in the sport Obiena has chosen as his own: pole vault. 

He is the first man ever from Asia to go over the bar at six metres and a two-time world medallist. In any other age, he might be expected to challenge for gold at the world’s biggest athletics events.

However, this is also the era of Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis, whose record-breaking feats have seen him set the bar so much higher than anyone in history that his PB stands a full seven centimetres above the next best on the all-time list.

And while Obiena is keen to stress his friendship with Duplantis among the “brotherhood” of pole vaulters operating on the international circuit today, he is also aware that from a pure competition perspective, living in the age of Mondo is a double-edged sword.

“It’s tough,” Obiena said of the challenge of competing against the Swede. “I mean it’s never been easy but jumping in an era when a guy casually jumps six metres, I think it’s not been [seen] in any era of pole vaulting.

“I don’t think anyone has been that consistent the way he has been. And it’s hard to keep up but at the same time he drives us.”

While Obiena has been Duplantis’ closest rival in 2023, the fact that the world record holder is in such dominant form leaves him stuck between the positives and negatives of competing against a bonafide phenomenon.

“It’s good that we have an icon that gives the sport the extra attention that it needs,” he said. “But at the same time it sucks that jumping six metres just gets second, maybe even lower now.”

The scary "possibility to shape the future of the country"

Obiena is acutely aware of the place he holds in the history of athletics in his country. But also the backdrop against which his accomplishments have taken place.

“I think I’m very different from everyone else,” he said, reflecting on his journey to the top of the pole vault world. “Like my situation in my country having maybe a lack of history when it comes to athletics, it’s such an amazing position to be in. But at the same time, I think I bear a lot more responsibility than a lot of my peers.”

While his own place in Filipino sport does put added pressure on his shoulders, the gratification Obiena feels about taking on that role outweighs any of the challenging consequences that come with it.

“You know, this is like a fairytale dreamland story,” he said of the odds he has had to beat to be standing in the position he is in today.

This is an athlete who believes he is competing for a “bigger purpose”, and who speaks openly about being “very proud” of representing his country on the global stage.

But this is also someone who feels the weight of the influence he now has in his home country and sees the challenges of being in such a high-profile position.

Obiena: Fighting to world silver in the face of adversity

One area in which Obiena has been an exceptional role model is in the resilience he has demonstrated in the face of adversity.

That character was on full show at the recent World Athletics Championships where just days before he tested positive for COVID.

“I was first in denial,” he said remembering the scary moments when he thought his World Championships dreams might be scuppered. “Then I said ‘Why me? Why is this happening now?’”

With his medal hopes hanging in the balance, Obiena chose not to share the results of his test with the wider world, instead hatching a plan that could maximise his chances of success without draining his physical resources.

“There’s a reason why I only jumped two heights in the qualifiers. It was to save energy and all of that. And going into the final I was just like, 'OK, let’s put everything on the line', and we didn’t know my fitness level at the time, how good it was, but there’s no point being the victim of the situation.”

When the final eventually took place, Obiena soared. He sailed over a 6.00m to win silver. Nobody had known the drama that had led to the moment.

But the strength of character he had shown demonstrates the gritty determination of a champion.

“I’m still going to do what I need to do, show up and compete to the best of my ability,” he said. “And if it doesn’t work at least I can know going to bed later that night that I did everything that I can.”

EJ Obiena delivers - again

And Obiena ended his year in style. After winning silver in the World Championships and the Diamond League final, the country's golden boy clinched gold at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou gifting the Philippines their first title at this year's continent Games. 

And how about the not-so-insignificant matter of an Olympic Games next year?

“I would want a medal but I would want to win,” he said. “I would want to get a gold, it’s something that I believe is still doable, it’s achievable…

“Success would be winning a medal. Bigger success if I win.”