Thomasian pole vaulter EJ Obiena faced a challenging lead-up to his 2024 Paris Olympics campaign due to a spine injury, which ultimately saw him finish heartbreakingly in fourth place, his manager disclosed.
During a Zoom call with the media on Aug. 7, Obiena and his manager, James Michael Lafferty, revealed that the pole vaulter had been struggling with spinal issues that severely impacted his preparation for Paris 2024, to the extent that he was unable to run or vault in the days leading up to the summer games.
“He has had a recurring issue in the lumbar part of his spine where he’s experienced problems with connective tissue, muscle discomfort, pain, and the inability to vault,” Lafferty said.
“About 10 or 12 days before the Olympic Games, it became so severe that he couldn’t vault and couldn’t even run with the pole.”
Obiena mentioned that this issue had been ongoing throughout the season and hinted at it in a July Instagram post.
“We push ourselves, we push our body to the limits, and things happen,” Obiena said.
However, Obiena made it clear that his injury did not affect his performance in the final.
“I think it did affect me, but not on the competition day. It impacted my preparation leading up to it. It influenced my consistency and overall program going into Paris,” he said.
According to Lafferty, Obiena’s injury began in 2022 and was treated with a joint denervation procedure to remove the nerve causing pain. Unfortunately, the nerve grew back in 2024, disrupting Obiena’s training.
Lafferty noted that Obiena had the injury treated in Rome, Italy, shortly before returning to Paris to compete.
Lafferty expressed pride in Obiena’s performance, given the circumstances, highlighting it as his best Olympic showing since his 11th-place finish in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“I can’t even begin to express how proud I am of this guy, proud to know him, proud to work with him, and proud to be part of his team. His toughness and refusal to make excuses are remarkable,” said Lafferty, who has been working with Obiena since 2015.
“I believe people should recognize what he went through to perform his best and that what he achieved is truly extraordinary and deserving of our respect and applause.” with reports from Brenn Allen L. Flores
