Pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena will finish outside of the Top 3 of the World Athletics after landing at No. 4.

Obiena dropped from the No. 3 spot after opting to rest after his fouth-place finish in the 2024 Paris Olympics last August.

Record holder Armand Duplantis remains on top of the World Athletics rankings with Sam Kendricks of the United States and Emmanouil Karalis of Greece in the second and third places, respectively.

These pole vaulters are also the podium finishers in the Summer Games.

Due to a nagging back injury, Obiena opted to recover and in the process, skipped the Diamond League.

During that time, the Tondo, Manila native attended the opening of the Ferdinand E. Marcos Memorial Stadium’s first-ever pole-vaulting facility.

Obiena said he wanted to see more Filipino pole vaulters in the future.

“The main reason for this is for development and really to make sure we gain global success in the sport. This is basically my way of doing it, kickstarting it, and hopefully I teach you guys how to fish medals, not just in Palarong Pambansa and Southeast Asian Games but globally,” Obiena said.

“Hopefully, we’ll get athletes from Ilocos to represent the country with pride and honor. This is only the beginning. Mark my words, I am devoted in this. I really want to see the sport grow.”

Obiena is slated to return to action for next year for the indoor pole vault season.

“Ready for you 2025,” Obiena posted on his social media account.