PARIS – World No. 2 pole vaulter EJ Obiena jumpstarts Philippine athletics’ campaign in the Paris Olympics Saturday.

One of the country’s biggest medal hopefuls, Obiena has formally settled into the Athlete’s Village as he gears up for the qualifying round at the Stade de France at 10:10 a.m. (4 p.m. Philippine time) as he spearheads the bid of the three-man Filipino tracksters.

In his social media post late yesterday afternoon, Obiena remains upbeat on competing in the qualification round.

“Made it in one piece! So better make it count!!! #parasabayan,” Obiena wrote.

Lingering back issues have cast a shadow over Obiena’s preparations.

Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association president Terry Capistrano assured that Obiena’s fitness has been handled properly and it’s being attended to.

“He should be okay. He has a physician with him, an Italian osteopath (Antonio Guglietta), who’s part of the team. And Dr. Raul Canlas is also here. Whatever it is, as far as I know, it’s manageable,” Capistrano said. “It’s easier said than done.”

The Tondo native is among 31 athletes vying for a spot in the final. The competition is expected to be fierce, with the likes of Olympic and world champion Mondo Duplantis of Sweden, world No. 3 Chris Nielsen, and American standout Sam Kendricks headlining the field.

“Anyone among the Top 10 can podium and the only guy who’s ahead of the pack is Duplantis. But at the end of the day, we must remember that EJ is world No. 2. That’s the sum of what he’s been doing the past 12 to 18 months. Yun ang suma total,” Capistrano said.

“So, he should be ready. He will compete and get to the finals,” he added.

The pole vault final is set on Monday, and Capistrano does not even want to talk about that yet.

Meanwhile, Olympic debutants Lauren Hoffman and John Cabang-Tolentino see action in their respective hurdles heats on Sunday in the same national stadium.

The 25-year-old Hoffman, a former Duke standout, is entered in the women’s 400-m hurdles, while Cabang-Tolentino in the men’s 110-meter.

Cabang-Tolentino will run at 11:00 a.m. (5:00 p.m. Philippine time), followed by Hoffman at 12:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. Philippine time).