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EJ ObienaFilipino track and field athlete
Date of Birth: 17.11.1995
Country:  Philippines |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Pole Vaulting Career
- College Career
- National Team
- Pandemic Interruption
- Rise to World Class
- Coaches and Support System
- Controversy with PATAFA
Early Life and Education
Born on November 17, 1995, in Tondo, Manila, Ernest John Obiena is the son of former Filipino-Chinese track and field athletes Emerson Obiena and Jeanette Uy. He attended Chiang Kai Shek College, a Chinese Filipino school, for his secondary education before enrolling at the University of Santo Tomas for his undergraduate studies.
Pole Vaulting Career
Early YearsObiena first tried pole vaulting at the age of eight but initially focused on hurdling. His father, Emerson Obiena, served as his coach until he was 18. Obiena competed in the 100 and 400-meter hurdles events for his high school, Chiang Kai Shek College. Unable to qualify for regional competitions, he decided to return to pole vaulting in his senior year of high school in an attempt to earn a college scholarship.
College Career
Obiena began his collegiate career at Ateneo de Manila University, where he played for one season before transferring to the University of Santo Tomas, where he competed for them in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).
National Team
In early 2014, Obiena had the chance to meet Ukrainian pole vault legend Sergey Bubka when he visited the Philippines. Initially intending only to get an autograph, Obiena learned from Bubka about the possibility of training in Italy. That same year, Obiena traveled to Italy for three months to train under coach Vitaly Petrov in Formia, who had also previously coached Bubka.
On July 20, 2014, at the weekly PATAFA relays held at the PhilSports Football and Athletics Stadium, Obiena broke the national record in pole vaulting, clearing 5.01 meters. The previous record of 5.0 meters was set by Edward Lasquete at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in Spain. The national junior record was also broken as Obiena was still 18 years old at the time. The previous record was 4.31 meters, set three years earlier. He would go on to break his own record several more times in 2014 alone (5.05, 5.05, 5.15, 5.20, 5.21). By the time Obiena was no longer eligible for the national junior record, the record stood at 5.21, which Obiena himself had set.
At the 2015 Southeast Asian Games, Obiena won the silver medal, clearing 5.25 meters, which became his personal best.
Obiena won the gold medal in the pole vault at the 2016 Philippine National Games in Lingayen, Pangasinan, setting a new personal best of 5.47 meters despite struggling with a broken pole.
Obiena won gold in the men's pole vault at the 2019 Summer Universiade, setting a new national record of 5.76 meters. He secured his berth to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, surpassing the qualifying standard with a 5.81-meter jump at a meet in Chiari, Italy, on September 3, 2019. The jump also became a new national record.
At the 2019 World Athletics Championships, he failed to qualify for the final, finishing 15th out of 35 competitors with his 5.6-meter jump.
Pandemic Interruption
The COVID-19 pandemic caused the Olympics to be postponed, and travel restrictions imposed by countries in response to the health crisis created logistical challenges for Obiena's preparations. Obiena spent most of 2020 training in Formia, Italy, and was unable to return to the Philippines during the Christmas season. He trained under American strength and conditioning coach James Michael Lafferty and dietician Carol Lafferty; with Brazilian Thiago Braz as his training partner.
Competing at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Obiena made it to the finals of the pole vault competition, but failed to secure a podium finish.
Rise to World Class
Obiena set the then-Asian pole vault record, raising his personal best to a 5.93-meter jump at the International Golden Roof Challenge in Innsbruck, Austria, on September 12, 2021. He won the meet. The record was subsequently broken on July 25, 2022, when Obiena cleared a 5.94-meter jump at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon. He won the bronze medal, becoming the first Filipino to win a medal at the event.
In June 2023, Obiena cleared 6.00 meters for the first time at the Sparebanken Vest Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway, also setting a new Asian record. He was able to achieve this feat by switching from his previous 18-step approach to a 20-step technique.
Competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Obiena made it to the final in the pole vault competition, placing 7th in the qualifying round. He finished in a four-way tie for fourth place overall, clearing a 5.90-meter jump.
Coaches and Support System
Obiena has trained under coach Vitaly Petrov since 2014. Obiena's coaching team also includes his father, Emerson Obiena; conditioning coach James Michael Lafferty; physiotherapist Francesco Viscusi; osteopath Antonio Guiletta; dietician Carol Lafferty; and sports psychologist Dr. Sheryl Casuga.
Controversy with PATAFA
In November 2021, the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) publicly escalated an accounting dispute involving delayed payments to Obiena's coach, Vitaly Petrov. Petrov later denied that Obiena had any issues with payments. Filipino senators swiftly came to Obiena's defense, calling the unsubstantiated allegations "harassment" against an athlete considered a national treasure and filing a motion to recall the PSC's budget. The senators later approved the PSC's budget with a condition that PATAFA "right the grave injustice" done to Obiena's reputation. During congressional hearings, testimonies were given that PATAFA's payment system was broken.
Following an investigation by its Ethics Committee, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) declared PATAFA president Philip Juico persona non grata for his role in the harassment of Obiena. The POC Ethics Committee's investigation concluded that Juico harassed the athlete by making "malicious public accusations."
On March 30, 2022, the Philippine Sports Commission announced that both parties had reached an agreement in a mediation process. PATAFA would support Obiena in any future competition.
