PH Olympic medal hope Obiena on the right path
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
I’VE been following the sport footsteps of our national pole vault player Ernest James “EJ” Obiena since last year when he delivered our very first bronze medal at the World Championships held in Eugene, Oregon, U.S.A by clearing a remarkable 5.94 meters… that feat catapulted him to be ranked number 3rd in the world. Yes, his efforts really impressed me and it started me to think that the guy from Tondo, Manila is a potential medalist for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. So, I began to monitor all his participation in international competitions, watching him go against his co-world class rivals. And perhaps as expected, the highly seeded Olympic and world champion pole vault demigod Armand Duplantis of Sweden ruled the prestigious tiff and set a new meet record of 6.10 meters, beating six others of the world’s top ten in the sport.
Though, he already broke the Asian mark last year, the five-foot-eleven Obiena never ceased to compete internationally, striving hard to improve his skills for a chance to break the world record set by Duplantis, aiming to be a medal winner in the 2024 Paris Olympics. In fact, Obiena continues his medal harvest starting this year by winning bronze medal in the star-studded Mondo Classic 2023, a gold performance in Roubaix, France, and a silver in Cottbus, Germany two weeks ago, his third podium finish. Definitely, a good start for the year 2023.
He brought his medal winning ways to the star-studded Mondo Classic 2023 in Uppsala, Sweden but this was topped by hometown hero, world champion Duplantis. But after a few days, Obiena took his second gold of the year by conquering the 2023 Orlen Cup in Lodz, Poland last February 4 (PH time), clearing 5.77 meters besting the former two-time world champion Sam Kendricks of the United States and hometown bet Piotr Lisek. Five days later, he conquered the Orlen Copernicus Cup held in nearby Torun, Poland on February 9 (PH time) upstaging Rutger Kopellear of Netherland and Ben Broeders of Belgium who bagged the silver and bronze medals, respectively. Duplantis did not participate. It’s Obiena’s third gold in his European stints.
Obiena has no plans in slowing down and continues to ramp up his 2024 Paris Olympic bid by competing and finishing second this time in another Orlen Copernicus Cup held in Berlin, Germany last February 12 (PH time), clearing 5.82 meters but overshadowed by the amazing performance of Duplantis recording 6.06 meters. Still, it was the sixth podium finish by Obiena this year amassing three golds, two silvers and a bronze, all done in European tourneys. Yes, he’s slowly and surely getting into the grove to reach the 6-meter plateau. He aims to boost his moral confidence to pass the Olympic qualifying mark in July but no specific date had been announced yet, so far.
Obiena, together with gymnast Carlos Yulo and the Philippine women’s football team and nine other Filipino national athletes who gave international honors for our country last year, will be feted on March 6 by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) headed by its president Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino. The event, in cooperation with San Miguel Corporation and Philippine Sportswriters Association, will be held at the grand ballroom of the Diamond Hotel. They deserve the honors. I doff my hat to them.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” JOHN 6: 62-63
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