Pole vaulter EJ Obiena's consistency key to possible podium finish in Tokyo
EJ Obiena's camp is placing a lot of importance on the pole vaulter's consistency in the final leg of his preparation for the Tokyo Olympics.
Emerson Obiena, a former national team vaulter and the father of EJ, said his son will have to continue taking on an upward progression in his development after the younger Obiena reset his own Philippine record during a tournament in Germany last Saturday.
"A lot of other pole vaulters regularly clear the height that he cleared. I think what's important here being able to consistently reach that mark. That's the intention in EJ's training right now," Emerson said in Filipino on Tuesday in the virtual Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum.
Obiena, 25, rewrote his own mark on his way to a gold medal in the 2021 Jump & Fly International Athletics Meet in Mössingen, Germany on June 12, clearing 5.85 meters on his third attempt to eclipse the 5.81m mark he notched back in 2019.
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So far, the elder Obiena believes his son is on the right track and is within reach of a podium finish.
"Based on history, he's within range of a podium finish -- a top-five finish, at least. EJ is not the only person capable of jumping that high, so it's really about consistency here," Obiena said. "I can't say right now if he can reach 6m. It's too early to tell. But I can see that he can jump higher than 5.85m."
But for that to happen, a couple of things will have to fall into place before EJ flies to Tokyo on the third week of July.
For one, Emerson hopes EJ's new equipment arrives in time so he can get used to his new poles before competing in the Games.
"Hopefully in his next cycle of competitions, his new equipment finally arrives so he can finally adjust and feel confident about using these," said Obiena. "Right now we're thinking about the poles and how we can ensure the poles will arrive intact and in one piece in Japan. The equipment is equally very important. It takes time to get used to new equipment."
The 25-year-old Olympian may also have to smash his record once more in the last one or two tournaments he is slated to compete in late June before heading to Japan.
"The aim is to jump higher than he was able to jump before. It's always in our mind. Every time he jumps or practices, that's really the target. So since he jumped 5.85m, he will be aiming for higher in the next competition," he explained. "Based on videos in his previous competitions, he's made clearances where his hip has really reached 5.90m and up. But we can't say if he'll be able to do that consistently because it's not easy to achieve that feat."
"But I'm positive he's on the right track. He's on the right direction. And I can see his skill continues to improve."
Obiena also has to take care of himself health-wise, of course, especially given his decision to defer COVID-19 vaccination after the Olympics.
"Based on what they've learned from asking athletes who have already been vaccinated, there are side effects that last for 10 days," his father explained. "Those 10 days where they can't practice has a huge effect on their preparation for the Olympics. So they'll defer for now. They're looking for a good time to squeeze in the vaccination. But if they can't, they'll work on more safety measures just so it doesn't affect the preparations. After the Olympics, maybe they can discuss when they can get vaccinated."
If Obiena is able to hurdle these obstacles, he stands to have a huge chance of beating fancied opponents like 2016 Olympic gold medalist Thiago Braz, 2012 London winner Renaud Lavillenie, and current world indoor record holder Armand "Mondo" Duplantis, among others.
"EJ is able to push himself more when he's around great vaulters. So I think it helps when the level of competition is high. It helps when he competes against someone as good as him or who's a little better than him. It pushes him," Obiena said of his son. "Many unexpected scenarios have happened in the past. I'm not saying it will always happen, pero bilog ang bola, kumbaga. Everyone has an equal chance."
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