EJ Obiena battles spine injury amid fourth-place finish at Paris 2024

World No. 2 pole vaulter Ernest John "EJ" Obiena said that a spine injury has impacted his preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Days before the men's pole vault competition, Obiena underwent a cortisone injection for his spine in Rome. He finished fourth in the finals after failing three attempts at clearing the bar at 5.95 meters on Tuesday, August 6, 2024 (Philippine time).

"I'm being honest, I didn't think it hindered me from performing. If I'm analyzing everything, the reality of things, it did affect me and my preparations going on my consistency in my overall program," Obiena said during the Zoom press conference held on Wednesday afternoon, August 7, 2024.

James Michael Lafferty, whom Obiena introduced as his good friend and mentor, added, "Ten days before the Olympics, he was not even vaulting. He left training camp and flew to Rome to get the procedure done. No 48-hour recovery. The fact that he competed is amazing, and that he came in fourth is beyond amazing."

Lafferty also highlighted Obiena's determination to compete. "He flew in and out of Paris, how amazing that fourth-place is."

He said Obiena's fourth finish is an incredible improvement from his 11th-place showing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Reflecting on his journey, Obiena said, "I didn't expect this to happen this year. In sports, you push your body to the limit. I was that close."

He shared that the issues began in the USA during the Los Angeles Grand Prix, where he won a gold medal. He experienced spasms and irritation, saying his sensory nerves often got triggered.

Obiena plans to skip smaller tournaments for the rest of the year and focus on a few Diamond Leagues while addressing his back issues.

He said they're looking from a long-term perspective. "We'll take it one day at a time. We'll see if I feel what I felt the past week, there's no reason to stop and not continue the season and fight for the points," Obiena added.

He also preferred not talking about the LA Olympics 2028 just yet while he processes things and sorts out his health issues.

He also expressed gratitude for the support from Filipinos worldwide.

Obiena takes pride in representing the Philippines, a nation that has instilled in him values and traits essential for being a good pole vaulter and athlete.

"Enduring, very patient. I think that's what our culture is and what many Filipinos can bring. We're very resilient. I'm very proud I'm able to represent all of you guys. I just wish there was a way to materialize all of that and I wanted that to be a medal in the Olympics," Obiena said.

He plans to return to his training base in Italy to assess his health.

His return to the Philippines will depend on plans from the government, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), or the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa). MLSA