Pole vault ace doing well in Italy training

Learning the ropes from the greatest, pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena is on track to surpass his personal best and become a medal contender in the Asian Games.

The second generation athlete has been training for the past six weeks in Formia, Italy under renowned Ukranian coach Vitaly Petrov, who produced pole vault icon Sergey Bubka and world champions Yelena Isinbayeva and Giuseppe Gibilisco.

Jeanette, EJ’s mother, said her 18-year-old son has already cleared five meters, closing in on Edward Lasquette’s national record  of 5.01  set in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

“Coach Vitaly told him that the target is to clear 5.10 meters before training camp ends,” said Jeanette.

Obiena will have another six weeks to achieve the goal, which is equivalent to a bronze medal in the 17th Asiad in Incheon, South Korea, slated September.

EJ is likewise lucky to have his father-coach Emerson, a former national champion, personally monitoring his progress in Italy.

Obiena, an incoming UST electrical engineering sophomore, first hurdled the 5-meter mark in the World Indoor Pole Vault Championships held in Taipei in March.