IN AN unprecedented milestone for the Ateneo de Manila University, the school saw two former stalwarts of its sports programs showcase their exceptional prowess on the grandest sporting stage that is the Olympics.
Maxine Esteban (BS ME ‘22) and Ernest John “EJ” Obiena, who studied at the University from 2012 to 2013, both competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics, albeit for different countries. While Obiena suited up for the Philippines in athletics for the second time at the quadrennial meet, Esteban represented the Ivory Coast in fencing, following internal issues within the sport’s Philippine federation.
Although neither former Blue Eagle secured a medal for their respective nations, simply qualifying for the Summer Games is an incredible accomplishment in its own right. With this remarkable feat, The GUIDON Sports takes a deep dive into their respective careers, both as Ateneans and Olympians, tracing their journeys from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) to Paris.
Maxine Esteban
Sport: Fencing, Foil (Côte d’Ivoire)
UAAP Seasons in Ateneo: Season 81–82 (2018–20)
Esteban found her home in the Ateneo after former Head Coach Walter Torres promised her guidance and growth as a Blue Eagle. The fencing prodigy learned early on that she had made the right decision, as her UAAP Season 81 rookie stint immediately solidified her legacy as one of the best to ever don the Blue and White.
In Esteban’s debut season, the University of the East Lady Warriors were gunning for their 11th consecutive championship and 14th overall, while Ateneo had not bagged the gold since 2007. Needless to say, Esteban served as the key player in ending the title drought with momentous victories in the individual foil and sabre events.
During their memorable championship-winning Season 81, the Blue Eagles collected a total of three gold medals, all courtesy of the future Olympian, and three additional bronze medals—one of which was also contributed by Esteban.
With her stellar season, the then-Management Engineering student was crowned the Season 81 Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player. Additionally, Ateneo awarded her the Moro Lorenzo Award for Excellence in Sports and the 2019 Lady Eagle of the Year Award.
In an interview with The GUIDON back in 2020, Esteban shared her reflections after winning the crown: “[The championship] confirmed that Ateneo is not just a university of excellence in the academe but also in sports as well.”
Her collegiate career was further distinguished by her international achievements. She became the first Filipino to secure bronze medals in both the 2018 Copenhagen Senior World Cup and the Guatemala Junior World Cup. She also became part of the Philippine women’s foil team that landed a bronze finish at the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
Esteban returned to Katipunan as a veteran. Along with the Ateneo Women’s Fencing Team, however, she was unable to complete their back-to-back bid in Season 82 after placing third overall. Deprived of the chance for UAAP redemption, Esteban’s time as a fencer for Loyola Heights came to an abrupt and bittersweet end due to the cancellation of Season 83 amid the pandemic.
After leaving Ateneo, Esteban continued to pursue her fencing career as she returned to the international piste with eyes set on one day qualifying for the Olympics. In 2022, she was among the top 64 after three World Cup stints, allowing her to mentally and physically prepare for the much-awaited World Championships in Cairo. However, this campaign ended in one of the biggest setbacks for Esteban to date, as she tore her ACL and PCL in a bout against Great Britain.
While recovering from her injuries, another obstacle stood in the way of the young fencer’s goal of qualifying for Paris 2024. Much to Esteban’s surprise and disappointment, the Philippine Fencing Association removed her from the national roster without proper notice, stating that some players in the same category had produced better results.
Determined to keep her Olympic dreams alive while also proclaiming admirable self-respect, Esteban switched nationalities to represent Côte d’Ivoire in May 2023. Despite the difficult decision, she gracefully embraced her position of representing both the Philippines and Ivory Coast, rising to rank 27 in the world rankings on her way to securing an Olympic berth.
“I want to be remembered as the Filipino-Ivorian fencer who now has the unique responsibility of inspiring the youth of two nations,” she shared in an interview with Preview.
Although she absorbed an early exit after being defeated by Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Pauline Ranvier of France in the Table of 32, Esteban expressed her gratitude for her Paris 2024 journey.
“In every game, we may lose, but strength lies in knowing we are not defeated. In life, we may be beaten, but never broken,” Esteban wrote in an Instagram post following the Olympics.
A true force of inspiration, Esteban is the prime example of an athlete who embodies magis, resilience, and perseverance in the face of adversity and uncertainty.
EJ Obiena
Sport: Athletics, Pole Vault (Philippines)
UAAP Seasons in Ateneo: Season 75 (2012–13)
Although not prominently discussed within Ateneo’s rich sporting history, Obiena might not have become a household name in UAAP Athletics if the Loyola Heights-based institution had not taken a chance on him back in 2012.
Back then, he was more commonly known as the son of Emerson Obiena—the Philippines’ most decorated pole vaulter and multiple-time SEA Games medalist. However, even before he stepped foot on the University campus, which had not yet installed its iconic blue track oval at that point, the younger Obiena was already turning heads in the local athletics scene.
Fresh out of Chiang Kai Shek College, a 17-year-old Obiena got his start with the then-Ateneo Blue Tracksters in UAAP Season 75. In his rookie season, he made history by breaking the six-year Philippine national junior record of 4.30 meters set by Adamson University’s Jerome Margallo.
Obiena, who was taking up a degree in Bachelor of Science in Communications Technology Management, reset the national record by clearing a height of 4.50 meters.
He also competed for the Blue Eagles at the 2012 Philippine University Games in Bacolod City, where he nabbed a silver medal. Unfortunately, his stint for the Blue and White would be cut short thereafter due to academic deficiencies, leading him to transfer to the University of Santo Tomas a year later.
Following his bemedalled stint in the UAAP, Obiena continued on his upward trajectory as a member of the Philippine national team. He eventually entered the mainstream after becoming the first Filipino to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after surpassing the 5.80-meter qualifying standard.
Despite the Summer Olympiad’s postponement, Obiena made the most out of his debut, making it past the qualifiers. However, the Tondo native fell short in the Men’s Pole Vault Final, finishing 11th overall.
Amid legal battles and conflicts with the national federation, the 6-foot-1 stalwart put up historic marks toward his buildup for Paris 2024. Obiena broke the SEA Games record and Asian Games record while setting new Philippine and Asian records with a personal best of 6.00m all in 2023.
Nearly 12 years after he bid farewell to the university that kicked off his collegiate career, Obiena donned the national tricolor for another chance at an Olympic medal for the Philippines. Building on his achievements in the previous year, he entered Paris as a medal favorite as the second-ranked pole vaulter in the world, one spot behind world record holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden.
Obiena’s mission in Paris was to achieve redemption, similar to fellow Filipino Olympian Carlos Yulo. Despite being a clear medal contender, Obiena’s dreams were dashed by just a single attempt. His heartbreak following a fourth-place finish was encapsulated in his postgame interview with One Sports.
“I apologize. I promised I [was] gonna go back after Tokyo and do better. I did, but it didn’t change [much] in my book, I still came up short. I’m really sorry,” the world second-ranked pole vaulter expressed.
Despite missing out on a medal, Obiena’s story should be one of motivation for the Ateneo Track and Field Team, which is currently composed of an almost all-rookie squad with high expectations for the UAAP.
Olympic pedigree
Both Esteban’s and Obiena’s roads to Paris illustrate the remarkable potential of Atenean athletes, showing how far they can go in their respective fields no matter how turbulent the journey may be.
From athletes like Akiko Thompson, Toni Rivero, and Jessie Lacuna to coaches like Marestella Torres-Sunang, their Olympic stories show that their careers continue far beyond the UAAP.
With enough support and determination, it is all but certain that we will see more future Olympians emerge from our Blue Eagles, inspired by the long-standing legacies of national sporting icons like Esteban and Obiena.
