Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena only broke brand new federal record (again): He conversations Tokyo Olympics, Mondo Duplantis, and you may impact the latest love in the Philippines inside our private chat.
EJ Obiena was smiling when he comes up into videocall. "Sorry, was only starting my personal Covid decide to try," he says, "it’s negative, thus which is good news."
Personal! EJ Obiena kits sights with the Philippines' basic actually ever Olympic gold: "That is the goal"
It's the current great news inside the a strong stream of an effective reports for EJ whoever amazing indoor 12 months has given means to fix a great outside year to your Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games just days aside.
Obiena keeps many times damaged national records and you may catapulted themselves on the top podium more than globe winner Sam Kendricks and Olympic silver medallist Thiago Braz.
Toward Obiena put an alternative Filipino number of five.85m, profitable the new Dive and Fly battle in the Mossingen, Germany, you to definitely draw surpassed their own number of five.81 that he set in when you look at the Chiari, Italy - a dot one made your the first Filipino to help you qualify for Tokyo 2020.
The brand new Olympic postponement gave Obiena a year to operate more complicated and go higher nowadays he could be hiking gradually into the wonders 6m mark, getting himself about reckoning with the podium in the rescheduled in the summer off 2021.
Which pole-vaulter is the pleasure out-of Filipino track-and-field that's for the without doubt on his goal on Tokyo Games:
"Profit the new gold, that's all man. That is a rather hard purpose to get to, but that is the goal. That's why I am carrying out all this, not to score next and never to locate third. so you're able to victory it." - EJ Obiena
Is Obiena do so he'd get to be the first actually ever Filipino to earn an Olympic gold medal, permanently writing his term toward Olympic lore away from a nation excited about sport.
Keep reading for it exclusive interviews for the Philippine eagle, out of his Olympic will this new Filipino dining the guy misses (Including fresh coconut liquids, mangoes and you will Jollibbee!), just how Covid nearly made your throw in the towel and you can go back home, and his 75-year-dated mentor Vitaly Petrov just who pretty sure your to save supposed.
I and additionally read about exactly how he is in charge of his psychological state away from your home, the fresh family members he could be produced, their wife who has got including a runner, in addition to overwhelming help he seems away from Filipinos all https://datingmentor.org/cs/interracial-seznamka/ over.
How high can EJ Obiena go?
5.62m (5th) at Karlsruhe Business Indoor Trip, 5.80m (1st) within ISTAF Berlin, 5.68m (1st) in the Dortmund, 5.60m (5th) within WA interior Tour Silver during the Lievin, 5.86m (2nd) from the Orlen Mug for the Lodz, 5.80m (3rd) from the Copernicus Mug, Torun.
Today he has his views set on the Far-eastern list out-of 5.93, however for EJ it's just not all about the fresh wide variety.
"So i fully grasp this peak mission level that i must reach but meanwhile its not all race gift ideas new chance of one build one club, you are sure that. With regards to race, We attract regarding this new pub that's put today.
"Going into battle, considering the brand new number and you may some body jumps more that record, you might be fundamentally eg, oh s. I have to plunge more than you to?
"And so i believe a knowledgeable brand of mindset entering competition simply which i have to be he whom jumps more than other industry. I run effective the fresh match."
Their backyard 12 months first started remarkably when he cleared 5.80 in order to most useful the fresh podium inside June, then he eliminated you to Olympic simple once again in the 2021 FBK Games on Netherlands, where he stepped up to the podium trailing simply Mondo, just who eliminated six.10m.