By MARK REY MONTEJO
Two-time Olympic pole vaulter EJ Obiena looks to resume a stellar career stalled by a back injury when he makes his debut for the 2025 season in the International Jump Meeting Cottbus next Wednesday, Jan. 29, at Lausitz-Arena in Germany.
It will be the first competition for the 29-year-old pole vault star since fully recovering from a back issue that forced him to cut short his 2024 season and Obiena is naturally excited to finally be back on track with the new indoor season.
“Back at it after what seems like forever! On the 29th, I’ll be kicking off my indoor season in Cottbus, Germany,” Obiena said on his social media post.
“I’m excited to be back in the thick of things and to see what’s in store,” he added.
The 2024 season was not exactly how Obiena wanted it to end, especially after falling shot of another podium finish in the Paris Olympics and being revealed to have suffered a stress fracture to his spine.
During his absence, Obiena also lost his hold of the World no.2 rankings, dropping to the fourth spot with Sweden’s Armand Duplantis , USA’s Sam Kendricks and Greece’s Emmanouill Karalis taking the Top 3 spots,
Elite pole vaulters are projected to join the joust which serve as a springboard for upcoming major events including the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China slated March 21 to 23.
