Ernest John “EJ” Obiena

A truly towering figure in global sport, Ernest John “EJ” Obiena is the Philippines’ pre-eminent athlete, a pole vault sensation who consistently competes on the world stage. Obiena became the first Filipino athlete to clear six metres in pole vault, establishing an Asian record and joining the sport’s exclusive six-metre club. He went on to win gold at the 2022 Asian Games and a historic silver at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, the Philippines’ first-ever medal at the international event. He also finished fourth at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Following a challenging period, the 2025 season marked a formidable return for Obiena. He won his third consecutive Asian Athletics Championships title in Gumi, South Korea, with a clearance of 5.77 metres before claiming victory at the inaugural Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge in Makati, Philippines, where he cleared a season-best 5.80 metres.

In 2026, Obiena continued his resurgence, recording a season-best 5.91 metres at a meet in Poland before defending his Asian Games title in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. His 5.91-metre clearance secured his second consecutive Asian Games gold and set a new Games record.

Beyond his results, Obiena has helped bring sustained attention to pole vault and athletics in the Philippines. His career has become a reference point for a new generation of Filipino track-and-field athletes and demonstrates what Filipino athletes can achieve with access to world-class coaching and international competition.