Falling short in Tokyo still a 'hard pill to swallow' for EJ Obiena but he vows to stay hungry

EJ Obiena shared he is still dwelling on the fact that he fell short of a podium finish in the recently-concluded Tokyo Olympics but the pole vault ace said he will remain hungry moving forward.

"It has been a hard pill to swallow that I wasn’t able to perform to the best of my abilities on the day I needed it most," Obiena said in an Instagram post early Monday.

"It’s even harder to just say 'it is what it is' and bad days come and go."

The Filipino representative was unsuccessful in clearing the 5.80 meter mark to formally bow out of contention in the men's pole vault finals where Sweden's Armand Duplantis reigned supreme.

Obiena shared he was confident about marching into the Tokyo Games where he competed against the best in the world but admitted that something just didn't go his way during the event proper.

And he admits he is still losing sleep over his struggles in Tokyo.

"I am confident with my abilities to go against the worlds best but something didn’t click, something was missing or perhaps it just wasn’t meant to be," Obiena added.

"These are thoughts that wakes me up at night with cold sweat and a heavy chest but then days pass and nights fall and yet here I am still wondering."

Despite this heartbreaking loss, the 25-year-old pole vaulter bared this will fuel him when he returns to competitions, including perhaps the 2024 Paris Olympics.

"I took a step back and realized I haven’t accepted those thoughts as facts and I am yet to throw in the towel. Still hungry and still yearning for a better me."

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA News