Pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena swears he is just getting warmed up after clinching his first gold medal in the Los Angeles Grand Prix in California over the weekend.
Obiena, 28, said he didn’t expect to get the win as his goal was to gauge himself for future tournaments in the buildup for the 2024 Paris Olympics this July.
Obiena ruled the eight-man field after posting 5.80 meters in his first athletics meet win on American soil.
“It’s good. I think this is my first win on US soil so it’s very good. Definitely unexpected. I just wanted to make bars. I’m feeling a little bit under the weather today but sunny LA. Good stuff,” Obiena told United States-based reporter Steve Angeles.
“It’s exciting but at the same time if I’m already there I’d say good but job not done like still quite a bit of things I need to work on and accomplish.”
Obiena is speaking from experience.
Before the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo, the world No. 2 pole vaulter was picking up medals in various European meets.
But when the Olympics unfolded at the Japan National Stadium, Obiena found himself finishing in 11th place tied with Bo Kanda Lita Baehre after going over 5.70m.
Even his training partner and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics champion Thiago Braz of Brazil, got third place despite usually finishing outside the podium in the tournaments prior to the Tokyo Games.
Now as he gets another chance in the biggest sporting event in the world, Obiena is keeping his cards close to his chest as he will compete again in Europe soon along with American pole vaulters KC Lightfoot, Christopher Nilsen, Kurtis Marschall of Australia and world champion and gold medalist Armand Duplantis of Sweden.
Obiena said he wants to pace himself in future meets as he sets his sights on the biggest prize of 2024: The Olympic gold medal.
“It shows we’re still there. We’re still building. The height doesn’t even show what I can do but I didn’t want to take a little bit more risks than necessary so I stopped as soon as I knew I won,” Obiena said.
“So it’s a good sign there’s still things we need to work on. Today was more like a test.”
The Philippines hasn’t won an Olympic medal in athletics in 88 years after Miguel White took home a bronze medal in the men’s 400m hurdles in the 1936 Berlin Games in Germany.
