EJ Obiena settles for bronze in China tilt

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

EJ Obiena is back on the international stage and capped off his World Athletics Continental Tour campaign with a bronze medal on Sept. 7, 2025, in Beijing, China.

The Filipino pole vaulting sensation is coming off a two-month hiatus, having last competed in Spain, where he bagged the silver medal at the Meeting Madrid tournament.

Despite the long layoff, Obiena still managed to pull through, clearing 5.65 meters to officially mark his comeback in the professional pole vaulting scene.

Copping the gold was home bet Zhong Tiao, who ruled the tournament after leaping over the 5.75m height via a countback advantage.

The Chinese star nipped USA’s Cole Walsh, who leaped the same height but fell short due to consuming more attempts in the winning round than Zhong.

Obiena got off to a hot start as he cruised past the 5.65m with only a single attempt, but got stuck in the 5.75m after consuming two attempts.

In an attempt to salvage a gold medal, Obiena decided to use his final attempt in the 5.85 m, but the Filipino stalwart committed his final foul of the competition, resulting to a bronze.

Obiena’s World Athletics Continental Tour stint is part of his preparation for the upcoming World Athletics Championships scheduled from September 13 to 21, in Japan.

Days after his stay in Japan, Obiena will head back to the Philippines for the staging of the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge at the Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati.

In an announcement by Ayala, the historic global pole vaulting event won’t be possible without Obiena, who helped organize the tournament through a partnership agreement.

“Ayala is proud to partner with EJ for an event that celebrates Filipino excellence and marks the successes of our sporting heroes,” said Ayala Corporation Executive Director Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala.

“Through this pole vault challenge, we hope to bring Filipinos together in encouraging sporting participation, inspiring future athletes and making us proud as a nation.”