By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
EJ Obiena hopes to be a part of the historic Philippine team to the Tokyo Games when he goes for a podium finish in the men’s pole vault Tuesday at the Olympic Track Stadium in Tokyo.
A medal of any color would make Obiena only the third Filipino athlete to win a medal in the track and field after Simeon Toribio (men’s high jump) and Miguel White (men’s 400-meter hurdles) won bronzes in the 1932 Los Angeles and 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Obiena, ranked No. 6 in the world, cleared 5.75 meters in Saturday’s qualifications to book one of the 12 spots in the final, joining a tough field composed of athletes he knows very well having competed with them since two years ago.
Among those is reigning Olympic champion Thiago Braz of Brazil, who happens to be his training partner for years at a camp in Formia, Italy with Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov.
Braz also holds the current Olympic record of 6.03m he posted during his golden performance at the 2016 Rio Games.
But the man to beat is Sweden’s Armand Duplantis who owns the world record mark of 6.18m.
Also in the mix are 2016 Rio Games silver medalist Renaud Lavillenie of France, United States champion Chris Nilsen, and multiple world championship medalist Piotr Lisek of Poland.
Obiena last saw action with this group of elite athletes at the Bauhaus-Galan Wanda Diamond League in Stockholm, Sweden last month where the Filipino national record holder placed fourth behind Duplantis, United States’ Sam Kendricks, and Lavillenie.
In that event, Obiena posted 5.82m behind Duplantis’ 6.02m.
For Obiena to make it to the podium, he has to boost the mental aspect of his game so he can pole vault without fear.
“I was struggling mentally, then I didn’t feel that confident. If I have another chance, then I’m gonna make it,” Obiena said after the qualifications.
He also knows he has to perform better than his national record of 5.87.
Also vying are United States’ KC Lightfoot, Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis, Netherlands’ Menno Vloon, Australia’s Kurtis Marschall, Germany’s Oleg Zernikel and Bo Kanda Lita Baehre, Great Britain’s Harry Coppell and Turkey’s Ersue Sasma.
