Tokyo: Filipino pole vaulter Ernest John "EJ" Obiena is set to compete among 28 athletes in the men's pole vault event at the upcoming World Athletics Championships, scheduled to take place from September 13 to 21 at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Obiena, who holds the Asian Championships record at 5.90 meters, is a prominent figure in the field, aiming to build on his recent performances.
According to Philippines News Agency, Obiena has had a successful season, achieving a season-best of 5.80 meters at several competitions, including the Orlen Copernicus Cup in Poland, the PATAFA Pole Vault Challenge, and the Meeting Madrid in Spain. Most recently, Obiena secured a bronze medal with a 5.65-meter vault at the World Athletics Continental Tour in Beijing, China.
Following his participation in the World Athletics Championships, where the men's pole vault final is set for September 15, Obiena will return to the Philippines to lead the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge. This event will be held at Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati City on September 20 and 21.
The two-day challenge will feature several top-ranked athletes, including world No. 5 and European Championships bronze medalist Ersu Sasma of Turkey and world No. 6 and European Indoor champion Menno Vloon of the Netherlands. Both athletes have season-best records of 5.92 meters. Other notable participants include Thibaut Collet of France, Ben Broeders of Belgium, Austin Miller of the USA, Piotr Lisek of Poland, Oleg Zernikel of Germany, and Matt Ludwig of the USA.
The World Championships lineup is spearheaded by world No. 1 Armand Duplantis of Sweden, who recently set a new world record of 6.29 meters at the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix. Duplantis is focused on securing a second title victory in Tokyo, having won the Olympic gold medal in 2021.
Additional strong contenders include world No. 2 and 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medalist Emmanouli Karalis of Greece, world No. 3 and two-time world champion Sam Kendricks of the USA, and world No. 4 and 2023 World Athletics Championships bronze medalist Kurtis Marschall of Australia.
