Exclusive! EJ Obiena sets places to the Philippines’ first actually Olympic silver: “That’s the goal”

Filipino pole-vaulter EJ Obiena simply bankrupt the new federal listing (again): He discussions Tokyo Olympics, Mondo Duplantis, and you may perception the fresh new love regarding the Philippines in our private speak.

EJ Obiena are smiling when he arises for the videocall. “Disappointed, was only performing my personal Covid test,” he states, “it’s negative, thus that’s great news.”

Personal! EJ Obiena kits landscapes toward Philippines’ first actually ever Olympic gold: “That’s the objective”

It’s the current very good news inside a substantial stream of a beneficial news having EJ whose unbelievable interior seasons gave solution to an incredible outdoor year into Tokyo 2020 Olympic Video game merely weeks aside.

Obiena enjoys a couple of times damaged national details and you may catapulted themselves on the top of the podium over business champ Sam Kendricks and you will Olympic silver medallist Thiago Braz.

Into the Obiena set a different sort of Filipino checklist of five.85m, profitable the newest Jump and Fly competition for the Mossingen, Germany, that draw surpassed his personal record of five.81 which he place in during the Chiari, Italy – a mark one produced your the initial Filipino to help you be eligible for Tokyo 2020.

The newest Olympic postponement has given Obiena per year to operate more complicated and you can increase and from now on he’s hiking steadily into the miracle 6m mark, putting themselves on reckoning to the podium in the rescheduled in the summer regarding 2021.

Which pole vaulter is the pride away from Filipino track-and-field in fact it is inside definitely on the their purpose from the Tokyo Games:

“Earn the fresh gold, that’s all guy. Which is a tremendously tough goal to reach, but that’s the mark. For this reason I’m undertaking this, to not ever rating second and never to find third. so you can earn it.” – EJ Obiena

Is always to Obiena exercise however become the very first actually Filipino to help you winnings an Olympic gold medal, permanently composing his term into the Olympic lore from a nation excited about sport.

Keep reading for this personal interviews for the Philippine eagle, of their Olympic is designed to the newest Filipino eating he misses (Such as fresh coconut liquid, mangoes and you will Jollibbee!), how Covid nearly made your quit and you may go home, along with his 75-year-old advisor Vitaly Petrov exactly who confident your to store supposed.

I along with read about exactly how the guy manages his mental health far from home, new relatives they are made, his partner who’s along with an athlete, therefore the overwhelming support he feels off Filipinos everywhere.

Just how large can be EJ Obiena wade?

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

Today he has their sights intent on this new Far-eastern list from 5.93, however for EJ its not everything about brand new quantity.

“Therefore i get this peak mission top that i should achieve but meanwhile don’t assume all race merchandise the window of opportunity for one generate that club, you are sure that. Regarding race, We desire regarding the latest club that’s put immediately.

“Starting race, considering the brand new number and some one leaps more than you to number, you might be basically like, oh s. I must diving higher than that?

“Therefore i consider an informed form of mindset going into competition is simply which i need to be he who jumps greater than the rest of the community. I focus on effective this new match.”

His backyard seasons first started remarkably when he removed 5.80 so you’re able to finest new podium during the Summer, then eliminated that Olympic standard once more within 2021 FBK Online game regarding the Netherlands, where the guy stepped-up on the podium at the rear of only Mondo, who removed six.10m.