Obiena encounters billeting woes

A day after declaring that everything is right on track in his Paris Olympics gold medal journey, world No. 2 pole vaulter had to shake off minor problems relative to his entry into the Athletes Village.

In a social media post, the 28-year-old athlete said he has his poles but they have yet to enter the Village along with his team and Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov.

Obiena has been training at the Normandy Sports Centre, a two-hour ride from Paris, after competing in the Meeting de Paris last 7 July.

DAILY TRIBUNE tried to reach out to Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Terry Capistrano and Patafa secretary general Jasper Tanhueco, but they didn’t return calls.

Obiena will be gunning for a podium finish after only setting for 11th place in the Tokyo Summer Games in 2021.

But getting there will be easier said than done as familiar faces like world record holder and Tokyo Games gold medalist Armand Duplantis of Sweden and world No. 3 and Tokyo Games silver medalist Christopher Nilsen of the United States will be competing as well on 3 August at the Stade de France.

The Philippines’ last won a medal in athletics in the 1936 Berlin Olympics where Miguel White pocketed a bronze medal in the men’s 400-m hurdles.