Filipino pole-vaulter EJ Obiena only broke new federal number (again): The guy discussions Tokyo Olympics, Mondo Duplantis, and you may effect the love regarding Philippines within private cam.
EJ Obiena try smiling when he comes up towards videocall. “Sorry, was only doing my Covid shot,” he states, “it is negative, therefore which is good news.”
Exclusive! EJ Obiena establishes places towards Philippines’ basic actually Olympic silver: “That’s the goal”
It’s the most recent great within the a good blast of a news to own EJ whoever amazing indoor season gave cure for an unbelievable outside seasons with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Game only months out.
Obiena enjoys repeatedly damaged federal info and you may skyrocketed themselves with the the top podium more than world champ Sam Kendricks and you may Olympic silver medallist Thiago Braz.
For the Obiena lay a different Filipino number of five.85m, winning the new Dive and Fly competition in Mossingen, Germany, one to draw surpassed his or her own checklist of 5.81 which he set in for the Chiari, Italy – a dot one to made your the first Filipino to help you qualify for Tokyo 2020.
The newest Olympic postponement has given Obiena a-year to operate more challenging and you may increase now they are climbing steadily with the miracle 6m draw, getting themselves throughout the reckoning on podium from the rescheduled in the summer of 2021.
So it pole-vaulter ‘s the pleasure regarding Filipino track and field which is into the surely about his objective at Tokyo Games:
“Profit new silver, that’s it son. Which is a very difficult goal to achieve, but that is the prospective. This is exactly why I am performing this, never to get 2nd and not locate third. to winnings it.” – EJ Obiena
Will be Obiena do it he’d end up being the first actually Filipino in order to victory an Olympic silver medal, forever creating his label towards Olympic lore out of a nation excited about athletics.
Continue reading for it private interview toward Philippine eagle, out-of his Olympic aims to brand new Filipino restaurants the guy misses (Such as fresh coconut water, mangoes and Jollibbee!), exactly how Covid almost produced your quit and go back home, and his 75-year-old coach Vitaly Petrov whom sure him to store supposed.
I also discover exactly how he is in charge of his psychological state far from home, new family relations he’s generated, his wife having plus an athlete, while the overwhelming service the guy seems off Filipinos everywhere.
Just how high can EJ Obiena wade?
5.62m (5th) during the Karlsruhe World Indoor Concert tour, 5.80m (1st) at the ISTAF Berlin, 5.68m (1st) into the Dortmund, 5.60m (5th) within WA indoor Trip Gold into the Lievin, 5.86m (2nd) during the Orlen Cup in Lodz, 5.80m (3rd) in the Copernicus Mug, Torun.
Today he’s ldsplanet their places intent on the latest Far-eastern number of 5.93, but for EJ it’s just not all about the brand new numbers.
“And so i fully grasp this peak mission peak that i must achieve but at the same time its not all competition gifts new window of opportunity for you to generate that pub, you realize. Regarding race, I desire regarding brand new bar which is put nowadays.
“Going into battle, when you consider the checklist and someone jumps over one checklist, you might be fundamentally including, oh s. I need to dive more than you to?
“And so i believe an educated particular psychology starting battle is simply that we need to be he just who jumps greater than the remainder job. I focus on successful the fresh fits.”
Their outdoor season began amazingly as he removed 5.80 so you’re able to most readily useful the fresh podium from inside the Summer, he then cleared you to Olympic fundamental once again during the 2021 FBK Game on the Netherlands, where he stepped up toward podium about merely Mondo, just who removed six.10m.