Carlos Yulo became the first male athlete from the Philippines to win the nation’s first Olympic gold. While the two-time Olympic gold medalist has dominated, another Filipino athlete came within touching distance of making history in track and field. Going up against the formidable Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis, EJ Obiena narrowly missed a podium finish in Paris.

The world no. 2 pole vaulter struggled to clear the 5.95m mark, while America’s Sam Kendrick did so to win silver. Meanwhile, Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis snatched away the bronze after clearing the 5.90m mark. While Obiena wouldn’t have challenged Duplantis’s incredible 6.25m Olympic and world record jump, a silver would’ve been historic. However, a shocking announcement may have revealed why the Filipino star couldn’t give the Swedish phenom a run for his money.

“‘I’ll be BACK’, I am sorry to announce that I must call a premature close to my 2024 season.” EJ Obiena revealed in a shocking announcement on X. “During the Silesia Diamond League this past weekend, the same back pain that has bothered me all season flared up,” said the pole vaulter. Unfortunately, it was far worse than he’d imagined. In fact, Obiena could’ve been injured far worse, a lot earlier on in the season.

“The MRI revealed what appeared to be a stress fracture in my spine. Unfortunately, a later CAT scan confirmed the diagnosis. I have a fractured L5 vertebra.” the 28-year-old athlete revealed. Obiena planned to compete in the upcoming ISTAF Berlin, Zurich Diamond League, and Diamond League Final. However, this discovery left him with no choice but to cancel those plans.

Although the injury didn’t bother him during the Olympics, it’s caused issues since last year. In fact, EJ Obiena almost didn’t make it to the Olympics thanks to the injury. The Team Philippines star’s preparation for the Olympics suffered due to what he thought were muscle pain issues. “I have been battling with various physical problems since April,” the 6’2 athlete wrote in July.

The “bumpy” journey nearly derailed Obiena Paris Olympics hopes when he barely cleared the 5.70m mark to qualify for the 2024 Summer Games. However, the latest diagnosis revealed the athlete the Filipino star was competing against the likes of Mondo Duplantis with a hidden injury. Naturally, fans of the athlete rallied in his support on social media.

The track and field community doesn’t want EJ Obiena to take risks

“Health is Wealth. Prioritize your health first, we understand and still support you.” commented an x-user. The fan didn’t want the athlete to risk his long-term health just to chase medals. Meanwhile, another fan said that Obiena already outdid himself, improving from 11th place in Tokyo to 4th in Paris, and placing second only to Duplantis in the world rankings.

“You do what you have to. You’ve done us proud already,” wrote the two-time world championship medalist’s Filipino fan. While EJ Obiena revealed he’ll need “4-weeks off to heal,” he won’t compete until 2025. One fan agreed with the athlete’s decision to prolong his rest period to eliminate all risks. “Take this time to rest EJ! Be back stronger…” commented the netizen.

Others felt relieved to discover that the three-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist prioritized his health over his career. “Glad to know that you put yourself first its hard to see u struggling while competing,” one individual wrote. The fan also assured that his supporters won’t mind the setback and would rather see him in good health.

“Health is very important EJ we will wait for you. Always Take care,” the individual added. However, Obiena lamented his missed opportunity to qualify for the Diamond League finals. After missing out on an Olympic medal, the 28-year-old had set a goal to win gold at the Diamond League, but now even that seems impossible. Yet, one track and field expert offered a different perspective.

“This ain’t a setback kid! It’s a setup for a comeback! Rest and rest well. Enjoy the things you enjoy outside of the sport,” advised the x-user. And a grand comeback is exactly what’s on EJ Obiena’s mind. “You’ll see more of me, and the Philippine flag will be raised on a global scale. It will simply have to wait a bit longer! Thank you for your support. I love you all and promise, I’ll be back!” the pole vaulter concluded his post. What are your views on the incident? Tell us your opinion in the comments.