Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena just broke this new federal record (again): He talks Tokyo Olympics, Mondo Duplantis, and you can perception this new love on the Philippines inside our exclusive speak.
EJ Obiena is smiling when he comes up towards videocall. “Disappointed, was only undertaking my Covid take to,” he states, “it’s bad, so which is great.”
It’s the most recent good news for the a stronger stream of an excellent news to possess EJ whose amazing indoor season gave means to fix an incredible outside year for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Game simply weeks away.
Obiena keeps several times broken federal facts and you will catapulted themselves on the upper podium over industry champ Sam Kendricks and Olympic gold medallist Thiago Braz.
Personal! EJ Obiena sets views on the Philippines’ earliest ever Olympic silver: “This is the purpose”
Into the Obiena place a different sort of Filipino number of 5.85m, successful this new Jump and you will Fly race inside Mossingen, Germany, one to draw exceeded his very own listing of 5.81 that he place in during the Chiari, Italy – a dot one to made him the initial Filipino so you can qualify for Tokyo 2020.
The fresh new Olympic postponement has given Obiena a-year to operate more difficult and you will go higher nowadays they are hiking continuously on secret 6m mark, placing himself on reckoning toward podium in the rescheduled during summer out of 2021.
So it pole vaulter is the pleasure off Filipino track and field which can be within the without doubt on the his mission from the Tokyo Games:
“Victory the new gold, that’s it people. That’s an extremely tough purpose to attain, but that is the target. That is why I’m undertaking all of this, to not rating 2nd and never to get third. so you’re able to victory it.” – EJ Obiena
Should Obiena do so however end up being the earliest actually Filipino to profit a keen Olympic gold medal, forever writing their title for the Olympic lore out of a country excited about recreation.
Keep reading for this private interviews into Philippine eagle, out of their Olympic will the new Filipino dinner he misses (Like fresh coconut water, mangoes and you may Jollibbee!), how Covid nearly generated him surrender and you can go home, and his awesome 75-year-dated advisor Vitaly Petrov whom sure your to save going.
I also hear about how he looks after their psychological state away from your home, this new friends he is made, his girlfriend that plus a runner, and the overwhelming assistance he feels out-of Filipinos everywhere.
Just how higher is EJ Obiena go?
5.62m (5th) during the Karlsruhe Globe Indoor Tour, 5.80m (1st) at ISTAF Berlin, 5.68m (1st) into the Dortmund, 5.60m (5th) in the WA indoor Trip Silver for the Lievin, 5.86m (2nd) within Orlen Mug for the Lodz, 5.80m (3rd) within Copernicus Mug, Torun.
Today he has his sights intent on the newest Far eastern record regarding 5.93, but for EJ mulheres Vietnamita fofas e sexy its not all about the new amounts.
“And so i get this top goal height that i want to achieve however, at the same time not every competition presents the brand new chance for you to create one to club, you understand. With respect to competition, I desire on the newest bar that’s put now.
“Entering race, when you consider the latest listing and you will anyone jumps more than you to record, you’re essentially particularly, oh s. I want to jump higher than you to?
“Therefore i envision an informed types of mindset entering battle is simply that we must be he which jumps greater than the rest of the profession. We work on profitable the meets.”
His backyard seasons first started remarkably as he eliminated 5.80 so you’re able to top the fresh podium for the June, he then cleaned one Olympic fundamental again during the 2021 FBK Games on Netherlands, where the guy stepped up on podium at the rear of only Mondo, which cleared six.10m.