EJ Obiena finishes 4th in Olympic pole vault

EJ Obiena from the Philippines narrowly missed securing an Olympic medal in pole vaulting, finishing fourth after clearing 5.90 meters but falling short of Greece's Emmanouil Karalis due to fewer attempts.

In a virtual press conference on Wednesday, Obiena expressed uncertainty about his future plans and emphasized taking things one day at a time while considering the possibility of competing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if he feels fully committed and healthy.

Obiena detailed that he dealt with spinal issues leading up to the Games, which affected his performance at the Paris Olympics where he came short of securing a medal despite being tipped for a podium finish.

Moving forward, Obiena aims to deliberate and regroup before deciding on competing in future events, including the possibility of making another run at the 7th Olympic Games in Los Angeles if he feels fully committed and ready to make necessary sacrifices.

Obiena's manager, James Lafferty, commended his courage to compete despite a back injury and noted that pole vault is a complex sport that takes years to perfect.