For a competitor as driven as Ernest John Obiena, there is no way he won’t—and can’t—bounce back from his Tokyo Olympic campaign better and stronger than ever.
“(I am) still hungry and still yearning for a better me,” said Obiena, visibly aching to bounce back after his campaign in the Tokyo Olympics, where he advanced to the finals as the only Asian pole vaulter to do so.
Obiena eventually finished 11th overall, but his 5.75 meters in the elimination round would have assured him of gold in the Asian Games, where the record stands at 5.7 meters, achieved by Japanese Seito Yamamoto.
The 25–year-old, 6’2” Obiena has all the physical tools and the talent to rebound from his Tokyo “heartbreak.” After all, his personal best of 5.87 meters, was the very same height cleared by his training partner Thiago Braz of Brazil in clinching the Olympic bronze medal, behind runner-up Christopher Nilsen of the US and champion Armand Duplantis of Sweden.
Heading into Tokyo, Obiena soared to no. 6 from no. 10 in the world rankings following a series of impressive campaigns in Europe, where he set the Philippine record, which he also owns, twice.
He struck gold when he cleared 5.70 meters in the Gothenburg Athletics Grand Prix in Germany on June 2, before breaking the Philippine record on June 11 when he cleared 5.85 meters for the gold medal in the Jump and Fly Meet in Mossingen, Germany.
Obiena then erased the mark for the second time when he registered his personal best of 5.87 meters to claim the silver medal in the Irena Szewinska Memorial-Bydgoszcz in Poland at the end of June.
“I am confident with my abilities to go against the world’s greatest,” said Obiena, who showed that he can leap with the best of them, but the Olympic games also showed that unmet expectations and goals happen even to the best of them.
“I ask I be given time to adequately reflect and learn. I am gleaning all the learnings I can so I come back better,” said Obiena.
The start of the rebound begins Aug. 26 when he takes part in the Athletissima Diamond League in Laussane, Switzerland, where he will be up against “usual suspects” Duplantis, Nilsen and Renaud Lavillenie of France.
“Season is just not over yet. Back in the field next week @athletissima Laussane DL,” said Obiena.
Under legendary coach Vitaly Petrov, the 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Obiena is currently back in his training camp in Formia, Italy as he opens another chapter of his sporting life and road to Olympic glory.
“Summit Natural Drinking Water, the official hydration partner of Team Philippines, is very proud of what EJ has accomplished. His being an Olympian and one of the world’s best in the sport are already achievements that are unmatched by any Filipino in athletics,” says Asia Brewery Inc. Marketing Manager Jill Villanueva.
“We take pride in the fact that Summit Philippines has been a part of EJ’s Olympic journey and we will still be there until he quenches his #ThirstForGold,” Villanueva adds.
In a recent Facebook post, Obiena’s state of mind can be gleaned from his hashtags #polevault #bringyouragame #foreverfaster and #thirstformore, proving to all that his journey to become the best version of himself continues.
“I still love the sport of pole vaulting. I still love representing my great country. I still love competing. I still know I can win. I will be back, and I will be back to win,” said Obiena.
No one ever doubts that, EJ. Go get ‘em.