At A Glance
- Two-time Olympic pole vaulter EJ Obiena and hurdler Robyn Brown chase glory in the 2025 World Athletics Championships at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo starting Saturday, Sept. 13.
(EJ Obiena IG post)
Two-time Olympic pole vaulter EJ Obiena and hurdler Robyn Brown chase glory in the 2025 World Athletics Championships at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo starting Saturday, Sept. 13.
A silver medalist in 2023 Budapest edition with his personal-best 6-meter clearance, Obiena, 29, seeks to secure his third straight podium finish in front of the sport’s biggest stars at the 20th staging of the biennial meet.
This would be the fourth straight appearance of the Tondo native in the world championships where he also snared a bronze in the Covid-delayed 2022 tournament held in Eugene, Oregon.
The world No. 7 EJ Obiena opens the campaign for the Nationals in the qualification stage and was drawn in Group B alongside current world No. 1 and reigning champion Mondo Duplantis of Sweden, world No. 3 Sam Kendricks of the United States, and 15 other elite vaulters.
No. 2 Greek Emmanouil Karalis and No. 4 Australian Kurtis Marschall banner Group A which also has an 18-man field.
Top performers from two brackets will book their tickets in the final round on Monday, Sept. 15.
It is a fitting stint for Obiena as he tries to gain momentum before he vaults into action in the inaugural Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge in Makati City on Sept. 21.
Obiena is coming off a bronze medal finish in the World Athletics Continental Tour in Beijing, China where he was outshone by Chinese Tao Zhong and American Cole Walsh after the Filipino cleared 5.65 meters.
Meanwhile, Brown, the 2023 Asian Athletics gold medalist, shoots for a podium finish as she begins her second appearance in the women's 400m hurdles event of the global tiff on Monday.