Daily Tribune‘Not what I wanted but we’re still standing and I still have a few more days to prepare and sharpen.’
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E.J. Obiena heads into the finals days before the opening of the Paris Olympics being bothered by physical problems.
Photograph courtesy of EJ Obiena/FB
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It doesn’t look as if the Paris Olympic-bound pole vaulter E.J. Obiena is having a perfect training camp.
The world No. 2 revealed in a social media post Saturday that he has been battling some physical problems since April, a month before he kicked off his outdoor season.
The World No. 2 pole vaulter has been training near the French capital with Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov and fellow Olympians Huang Bokai of China and Hussain Al-Hizam of Saudi Arabia.
“Despite my best efforts at conditioning, fitness and discipline, I have been battling with various physical problems since April. I know and fully understand this can happen to athletes training at such intensity and no complaints... but why now!?!?” Obiena said during a break in his training under Petrov.
“This has meant constant stops and stitching training and competition together with my team as well as we could. I have undergone in the past months, weeks and days a variety of medical procedures, to hopefully give myself the best shot at the Olympic Games.”
This isn’t the first time the Filipino pole vaulter faced challenges as the Summer Games starts in a few days.
Obiena’s poles snapped in the Ostrava Golden Spike in the Czech Republic last 29 May and Oslo Bislett Games in Norway last 31 May, prompting the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association to send in new sets of poles to the prized pole vaulter.
The pride of Tondo, Manila will be facing an uphill battle as he goes up against pole vault’s main men.
Names such as Sam Kendricks, KC Lightfoot, Jacob Wooten, and Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Christopher Nilsen, Emmanouil Karalis of Greece, Kurtis Marschall of Australia and world champion Armand Duplantis of Sweden banner this year’s competitions.
Still, Obiena remains optimistic that come 3 August at the Stade de France, he will be at his best form for the competition.
“Am I feeling confident with my preparation? Well, definitely not as much as I would like!! Am I doing the best I can each day? Yes and most definitely yes!!!” Obiena said.
“Not what I wanted but we’re still standing and I still have a few more days to prepare and sharpen.”
Last 24 June in Poznan, Poland, Obiena took top honors with a 5.87 meter effort.
