Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena just broke the newest federal checklist (again): The guy conversations Tokyo Olympics, Mondo Duplantis, and you will perception the fresh new love on Philippines within personal chat.
EJ Obiena was smiling as he arises to the videocall. “Sorry, was only doing my personal Covid decide to try,” according to him, “it’s bad, very that’s great.”
It is the current very good news in a strong stream of a great development to have EJ whose amazing indoor year gave means to fix an amazing outdoor year towards Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games just weeks out.
Obiena has several times damaged national facts and you can skyrocketed himself toward the top of podium more world champ Sam Kendricks and Olympic silver medallist Thiago Braz.
To the Obiena place an alternative Filipino list of five.85m, winning the brand new Jump and Fly competition inside Mossingen, Germany, that mark surpassed their own listing of 5.81 that he invest during the Chiari, Italy – a dot one to generated your the initial Filipino so you can qualify for Tokyo 2020.
Personal! EJ Obiena sets places on the Philippines’ very first ever Olympic gold: “This is the goal”
Brand new Olympic postponement gave Obiena per year working more challenging and increase and then they are hiking steadily into miracle 6m draw, placing themselves from the reckoning towards podium within rescheduled in the summer off 2021.
It pole vaulter is the pride from Filipino track-and-field in fact it is inside definitely on their objective within Tokyo Games:
“Winnings the silver, that’s all boy. hur man ser vem som gillar dig pГҐ indiancupid utan att betala That is a very tough purpose to attain, but that is the prospective. This is exactly why I am starting all this, not to get 2nd rather than to track down third. so you’re able to profit they.” – EJ Obiena
Is to Obiena get it done however get to be the basic ever Filipino so you can victory an enthusiastic Olympic gold medal, permanently writing their term to your Olympic lore out of a nation passionate about athletics.
Keep reading for this exclusive interviews toward Philippine eagle, regarding their Olympic is designed to this new Filipino dinner the guy misses (Such as for example fresh coconut liquid, mangoes and Jollibbee!), exactly how Covid nearly made him give up and you will go back home, and his 75-year-old mentor Vitaly Petrov just who convinced your to keep going.
We along with hear about just how he is in charge of his mental health far from home, this new family he’s produced, their partner who may have together with a runner, additionally the challenging support the guy feels away from Filipinos far and wide.
How large is EJ Obiena go?
5.62m (5th) from the Karlsruhe Globe Indoor Journey, 5.80m (1st) at ISTAF Berlin, 5.68m (1st) in the Dortmund, 5.60m (5th) during the WA interior Journey Silver during the Lievin, 5.86m (2nd) within Orlen Glass inside Lodz, 5.80m (3rd) on Copernicus Glass, Torun.
Now he’s his sights seriously interested in brand new Far eastern checklist out of 5.93, but also for EJ it’s just not all about the quantity.
“So i fully grasp this height goal top which i need certainly to get to but at the same time its not all battle merchandise the chance of one to make one to bar, you understand. With respect to battle, I attention on the fresh new bar that is put immediately.
“Entering competition, if you think about the fresh new number and you may individuals jumps more one to record, you might be basically particularly, oh s. I want to diving greater than you to definitely?
“Therefore i imagine the best kind of therapy going into race is simply that i should be he who jumps more than the rest of the community. I manage successful the newest match.”
Their backyard year began amazingly as he eliminated 5.80 in order to top the fresh podium within the June, then he cleared that Olympic fundamental again during the 2021 FBK Online game from the Netherlands, where he stepped-up on podium at the rear of merely Mondo, whom removed 6.10m.