Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena simply bankrupt the brand new national record (again): The guy discussions Tokyo Olympics, Mondo Duplantis, and you can impact brand new love throughout the Philippines within personal cam.

EJ Obiena was smiling as he appears to your videocall. “Sorry, was only performing my personal Covid shot,” according to him, “it’s bad, very that’s great.”

It’s the most recent great in a solid stream of a beneficial information having EJ whose amazing indoor 12 months has given means to fix a great outdoor year to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Game merely weeks away.

Obiena has repeatedly broken federal records and you can skyrocketed themselves with the the top of podium more than world champion Sam Kendricks and you can Olympic silver medallist Thiago Braz.

Personal! EJ Obiena set sights for the Philippines’ first ever Olympic silver: “That’s the purpose”

To your Obiena put another Filipino checklist of 5.85m, effective brand new Dive and you can Fly competition when you look at the Mossingen, Germany, you to definitely draw surpassed their own record of five.81 that he set in from inside the Chiari, Italy – a dot that produced him the initial Filipino so you can be eligible for Tokyo 2020.

The newest Olympic postponement has given Obiena a year to the office harder and you can go higher now they are climbing steadily towards the secret 6m draw, getting himself throughout the reckoning to the podium from the rescheduled during the summer from 2021.

This pole vaulter is the satisfaction off Filipino track-and-field that will be for the surely regarding the his goal at the Tokyo Games:

“Earn brand new silver, that’s all people. That’s a rather difficult objective to attain, but that’s the target. This is exactly why I’m carrying out all this, not to ever score second rather than locate 3rd. so you’re able to winnings it.” – EJ Obiena

Is always to Obiena get it done he would end up being the very first previously Filipino so you’re able to victory an enthusiastic Olympic silver medal, forever writing their name for the Olympic lore off a nation excited about athletics.

Continue reading for it personal interview towards Philippine eagle, out-of his Olympic aims to brand new Filipino food he misses (Including new coconut drinking water, mangoes and Jollibbee!), just how Covid almost produced your give up and go homeward, along with his 75-year-old mentor Vitaly Petrov whom confident your to store going.

I along with discover just how the guy looks after his psychological state far from home, brand new members of the family he could be generated, their girlfriend that has together with a runner, additionally the daunting assistance he feels regarding Filipinos everywhere.

Exactly how higher can also be EJ Obiena go?

5.62m (5th) in the Karlsruhe Globe Indoor Trip, 5.80m (1st) from the ISTAF Berlin, 5.68m (1st) into the Dortmund, 5.60m (5th) during the WA indoor Trip Silver in Lievin, 5.86m (2nd) on Orlen Mug inside the Lodz, 5.80m (3rd) on Copernicus Glass, Torun.

Today he’s his sights set on brand new Far eastern checklist off 5.93, however for EJ it’s just not all about the latest quantity.

“And so i have this peak goal peak that i should reach however, meanwhile not every race gifts the latest opportunity for you to create you to bar, you are sure that. Regarding competition, We attention regarding the newest bar which is place nowadays.

“Starting competition, considering the new list and you can anybody leaps more one to listing, you will be basically for example, oh s. I need to plunge higher than one?

“And so i imagine an informed sorts of therapy entering competition simply that we need to be the guy whom jumps more than all of those other community. I work with effective brand new suits.”

His outside year first started amazingly as he cleared 5.80 to help you top ourtimeA the new podium inside the June, then removed you to definitely Olympic important again within 2021 FBK Games regarding the Netherlands, where he stepped up to your podium at the rear of just Mondo, which removed six.10m.