Obiena eyes banner 2025

After the heartbreak of the Paris Olympics, pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena sets his sights on winning the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing in March and the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.

Obiena said he wants to make a splash just like he did in the World Athletics Championships where he got a bronze and silver medal.

The two-time Olympian is currently in Manila to recover from a back injury after he got fourth place in the Summer Games.

“I have two world championships. One is in March in Nanjing and one in Japan in September,” Obiena said.

“I have not won much indoors. I have always been an outdoor kind of guy. Hopefully this year we’ll change that.”

Obiena finished in ninth place in this year’s World Indoor Championships in Glasgow last March after going over 5.65 meters.

Meanwhile, he captured a silver medal in the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest after repeating his best jump at six meters and finished behind Armand Duplantis of Sweden after he got over 6.10m.

For now, Obiena’s focus is to heal up and also meet up with fans on 15 September at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay.

“It’s a meet-and-greet but it’s a little more than just that. We have an expo that shows pole vault and hopefully we will show those watching the event live or on TV how high six meters is,” Obiena said.