EJ Obiena has achieved one goal he had set for the interim: qualify for the World Athletics Indoor Championships to be held in Torun, Kujawy-Pomerze, Poland, on March 20–22.
Obiena is one of four pole vaulters who qualified for the prestigious indoor meet by coming closest to the entry standard of 5.90m. The 30-year-old Filipino accomplished this at the ISTAF Indoor pole vault competition in Berlin, where he cleared a season-high 5.78m to take home the gold.
“The height that was required to make the top 12 was 5.76m,” Obiena told veteran scribe Quinito Henson. “I’m not competing anymore (after Berlin) to prepare for the Worlds.”
The world No. 12 claimed the 10th of 12 spots in Torun and will be facing tough competition, as seven of those ten, including the inimitable Armand Duplantis, cleared the entry standard of 5.90m.
Can EJ Obiena Get Back to Top Five Status?
EJ Obiena was once upon a time in the top five in pole vault, even reaching as high as No. 2 back in July 2023. However, he has declined incrementally over the past few years, ultimately falling out of the top ten.
Now, the country’s top pole vaulter is ranked No. 12 in the world and is 18 points away from possibly making it back to the top ten. A resurgence back to the higher echelons of the sport looked imminent after a strong start to 2026, only to be followed by an uneven European swing. Still, the top ten is within reach, and a podium finish in Poland could catapult Obiena back to rarefied air.
A three-time Asian gold medalist and four-time SEA Games gold winner, Obiena will be joined in Torun by coach Vitaly Petrov and physiotherapist Christian Fernandini.
