The Philippines’ champion Ernest John “EJ” Obiena has ascended to the World No. 2 spot in men’s pole vault, in the latest World Athletics Ranking. Obiena now stands just behind world No. 1 Mondo Duplantis of Sweden, surpassing USA’s Chris Nielsen in the ranking.
The Filipino pride in sports now ranks World No. 2 with 1432 points in the ranking released on July 18, 2023. EJ Obiena earned the spot right next to World No. 1 Mondo Duplantis of Sweden with 1569 points after overtaking USA’s Chris Nielsen who carries 1428 points.
See the Top 5 in Men’s Pole Vault here:
EJ Obiena is now World No. 2 in the latest @worldathletics ranking, earning the spot right next to World No. 1 Mondo Duplantis of Sweden and overtaking USA's Chris Nielsen #Filipinopride Story coming up on @GoodNewsPinas_ https://t.co/u5kqvV7mAw pic.twitter.com/cGhfnV6hZT
— Angie Quadra Balibay (@AngieQBalibay) July 20, 2023
The medal-streaking Obiena, a 27-year-old pride of Tondo, Manila, climbed from the No. 3 spot, which he secured after a historic performance at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon. He has steadily risen to the world’s top 10 following his consistent medal finishes in international tournaments and zoomed to world No. 5 following his Olympics debut in Tokyo.
The Filipino star athlete momentarily had the same 1422 points as Nielsen in mid-July. Although he anticipated a drop in ranking due to his absence at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Poland, his spectacular gold-winning performance at the Asian Athletics Championships led to a new continental meet record and a boost in his points.
The first Filipino qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Obiena took to Facebook to share his joy and gratitude from Monaco, where the Chiang Kai Shek College and University of Santo Tomas alumnus stands on the brink of another battle at the Meeting Herculis EBS – Wanda Diamond League, scheduled for July 21.
In his social media post, Obiena writes, “Your very own skinny kid from Tondo, alumni of CKSC and UST, is now WORLD NUMBER TWO. Thank you to everyone who made this possible, and my deepest gratitude to those who went to war so that I could continue this dream. This is not just my accomplishment alone, but everyone’s. Maraming salamat Pilipinas sa pagkakataon na iwagayway ang iyong diwa (Thank you, Philippines, for the opportunity to raise Filipino pride). This dreamer dares to dream.” See EJ Obiena’s post here:
World Athletics placed the 1.88m-tall Obiena, “the new six-metre man of the Philippines”, under the spotlight in its feature on top contenders for the upcoming Monaco Meeting. This sentiment was echoed by Wanda Diamond League in their own feature, hailing the Filipino champion as a new member in the elite club of only 28 pole vaulters to have breached the six-meter mark.
World Athletics feature stated, “A strong jumps programme in Monaco is highlighted by an exceptionally strong men’s pole vault field, stacked with past global champions, medallists and current contenders… Ernest Obiena of the Philippines.” Meanwhile, Wanda Diamond League Feature noted, “Ernest Obiena, a newcomer to the 6m club, will be worth watching… With these world final vibes, surely the meeting record will be smashed…”
With the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco serving as a warm-up, Obiena and the other contenders are poised to electrify the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, slated from August 19-27. As the world watches EJ Obiena continue his athletic journey, the Philippines rejoices and supports its homegrown champion, the skinny kid from Tondo who dared to dream—and is now living that dream on the world stage.
WATCH him vault here and SEND CONGRATULATIONS in the comments below to EJ Obiena, now the World No. 2 in Men’s Pole Vault!
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