EJ Obiena in action (Olympic Council of Asia photo courtesy)
He is already assured of a slot in the 2024 Paris Olympics but for star pole vaulter EJ Obiena, so much work is yet to be done.
EJ Obiena, the Philippines’ and Asia’s top pole vaulter, has secured his spot in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics by meeting the Olympic entry standard height of 5.82m at the Bauhaus-Galan event held at Stockholm Olympic Stadium in Sweden on Monday, July 3 (Manila time).
Despite his accomplishment, Obiena is not ready to rest on his achievements.
He recognizes the need to continue working hard, especially after acknowledging some “rookie mistakes” during the competition, where he ultimately earned a silver medal.
In a Facebook post on Monday night, the 6-foot-2 athlete based in Italy stated, “We still have plenty of work ahead of us. I made some rookie mistakes yesterday, proving that I am constantly learning and growing in this sport.”
Obiena cleared the bar at 5.72m on his second attempt and repeated the same success at 5.82m. However, he decided to skip the 5.90m mark and made three unsuccessful attempts at surpassing 5.95m.
(AI/MNM)
