The Philippines’ national athlete is set to make his return to the pole vault scene early next year.
Last Tuesday, October 29, Filipino athlete EJ Obiena shared on his social media pages an update regarding his recent spinal surgery.
There, the national pole vaulting star disclosed that he has already received a medical clearance from his doctor.
“Some exciting news I want to share with you all. I’m officially cleared by [Dr. Alessandro Napoli] and have fully recovered from my lower back injury. Thank you to everyone who supported me during this journey.”
He also shared that he has been missing in action as of late, as he has set his focus on “getting back into shape and be ready by January! Here’s to the start of 2025 season!”
After his fourth place finish in the Paris 2024 Olympic games in August, EJ Obiena revealed that he had received an emergency surgery on his lower back after an injury weeks prior to the competition.
Even so, he continued to particpate in other leagues, such as the Lausanne and Silesia Diamond Leagues in Europe.
However, he was not able to complete the season and had to bow out early to complete his recovery.
As of the World Athletics’ latest ranking released on October 29, Obiena is currently the world’s number 4 pole vaulter, behind number 1 Armand Duplantis, number 2 Sam Kendricks, and number 3 Emmanouil Karalis.