FILE–Filipino pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena. (Photo by MOHD RASFAN / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines—Despite already being one of the world’s top pole vaulters, EJ Obiena acknowledges that he still has much to learn and improve in his craft.
Obiena, currently ranked No. 3 in the world, secured his spot in the upcoming Paris Games by surpassing the Olympic standard of 5.82 meters at the Bauhaus Galan in Stockholm, Sweden on Monday.
This Olympic qualification comes less than a month after Obiena set a new Asian record with a six-meter jump at the Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway.
However, Obiena’s hunger for success remains unquenched as he continues to strive for glory.
“We continue to work hard because there is still much to be done. I made some rookie mistakes yesterday, which just goes to show that I am still a student of the game,” Obiena posted on Instagram on Monday.
The 27-year-old Obiena won the silver medal in Stockholm, finishing behind world record holder Mondo Duplantis of Sweden, who cleared a height of 6.05m to claim the gold.
Obiena is the first Filipino athlete to secure a spot in the Paris Olympics.
He was also the first Filipino to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Games before it was postponed due to the pandemic.
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Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
