FILE — Philippine’s Ernest John Obiena celebrates with the mascot after the Pole Vault Men competition of the ISTAF INDOOR international athletics meeting on February 5, 2021 in Berlin. (Photo by Tobias SCHWARZ / POOL / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines—Ernest John Obiena began the outdoor athletics season in a manner he wishes to end his forthcoming crusade in the Tokyo Olympics.
The Filipino pole vault celebrity clinched the gold medal Thursday in the Folksam Athletics Grand Prix in Gothenburg, Sweden, giving himself a timely confidence boost going into the final stretch of his Olympic buildup.
Obiena cleared 5.70 meters in his first attempt and watched defending Brazilian Olympic gold medalist Thiago Braz fumble thrice at 5.75 meters to secure the win.
“This is a great start to the 2021 outdoor season,’’ Obiena posted on his Facebook.
The Asian athletics champion and record-holder tried his luck at 5.80 meters, but wasn’t able to clear the bar spotlessly in three attempts.
Emerson Obiena, EJ’s father and coach, said he was satisfied with the performance of his son considering that EJ’s last competition was four months ago during the indoor athletics season.
Obiena closed out the indoor season in February with a bronze medal in the Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland.
The 25-year-old Southeast Asian Games gold medalist has two more top-lever outdoor competitions next week in Hengelo, Netherlands on June 6 and in Mossingen, Germany on June 11.
Obiena will return to his training camp in Formia, Italy where Ukranian coach Vitaly Petrov will evaluate his performance and adjust the training program accordingly entering the final stretch of his Olympic preparation.
It was a neck-and-neck encounter between Obiena and Braz throughout with the Filipino clearing 5.60 meters on his second attempt.
Braz, who likewise trains under the tutelage of Petrov and stays at the same camp as Obiena, hurdled 5.65 meters before Obiena gained leverage with his magnificent 5.70 leap.
Obiena is scheduled to see action in three more tournaments in the last week of June before heading to Tokyo for the July 23- to August 8 Summer Games.