FILIPINO pole vaulter Ernest John (EJ) Obiena clarified his close friendship with artistic gymnastics double gold medalist Carlos Yulo and slammed the fake controversies that are still circulating online.
On Wednesday, Obiena shared a social media post addressing the turmoil that has been circulating since Yulo received criticism for the relationship he and his partner Chloe San Jose had with his family.
“I have hoped and tried to stay silent and not fuel anymore of the misleading stories. It’s a sad state of affairs when stories are fabricated to get clicks and likes and shares,” said Obiena on his social media post.
“Journalism is a noble profession driven by FACTS. It’s a shame it is sometimes abused. So, this is the ONLY statement I am going to make on the issues. There are the facts. So everyone knows.“
Obiena sounds off
To begin the long line of clarifications and statements, the pole vaulter asserted firmly that he and Yulo are friends, have been for many years, and intend to maintain their strong friendship for decades.
Making it more ridiculous for him to make any comments on the gold medalist’s life, and demonstrating how impractical it is for him to compete against his co-Olympian while pleasing the netizens.
“I don’t compete with my friend Caloy and I deeply respect him. He is a great champion for our country and I applaud him. I am proud of him. I am thankful for the glory he has brought our country,” clarified Obiena.
“I don’t comment on my private life and I certainly don’t want outsiders commenting on it. That’s why it’s called “private life”. It’s personal. It’s nobody else’s business. Because I embrace these values, I never comment on someone else’s personal life.”
“I HAVE NEVER MADE A SINGLE COMMENT regarding Caloy’s private life and I never shall. Any assertion otherwise is outright libel. I know when to keep my mouth shut; and when it comes to anyone’s private life this is one of those times.”
Meanwhile, Obiena stated that if netizens want to know what he says or whether he actually said anything, they can check his official social media accounts to confirm any claims they have read.
“If some click bait site is making up stories to suck you into the drama, recognise it for what it is. It’s abuse. It’s not journalism. That’s it. Thank you and I shall have no further comment on the matter.”
“I am focused on getting ready for the upcoming season. Let’s focus on cheering our athletes on, instead of creating false drama to sell advertising space,” Obiena ended the lengthy post.
Obiena completed his Olympic career with a devastating fourth place at the 2024 Paris Games. He also withdrew from his remaining competitions due to a stress fracture in his spine.
Since then, the Olympian has had a quiet offseason, concentrating on aiding his back injury. Making it even more bizarre to have him comment on the lives of his other co-athletes, particularly his close friend Yulo.
