PHNOM PENH—It was one day in the office for Ernest John “EJ” Obiena at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games and a little over 24 hours after smashing his own men’s pole vault record flew back to his training base in Formia, Italy.
The three-time SEA Games champion accomplished his goal of making sure he wins with a flourish—he broke the record of 5.46 meters he set in Hanoi last year by clearing 5.55 meters, got to 5.60 and settled at 5.65 meters.
“What a way to kick off my outdoor campaign,” said Obiena on Monday night soaking wet from rain at the Morodok Techno National Stadium.
Up next for the world No. 3 is a continental competition on June 6 in Poland and after that the world championships in Budapest from August 19 to 27 and the Hangzhou 20th Asian Games from September 23 to October 8.
“Hopefully I can go 5.82-meter in Poland or even higher,” Obiena said.
The qualifying window for the Paris 2024 Olympics starts on June 1 and Obiena wants to clear the minimum 5.82-meter standard the soonest. He set the Asian standard at 5.94 meters last year.
“That’s the goal—Paris,” he said.
There’s no Tondo vacation for Obiena, who practically flew in and out to showcase his world class act in Cambodia where his opponents couldn’t do better than 5.20 metets.
“He was asked by Vitaly [coach Petrov] to resume training for the big ones and I’m very happy on what I saw with EJ,” Obiena’s father Emerson told BusinessMirror. “He’s durable than ever, stronger and smarter than before.”
Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino awarded the gold to Obiena in a belated ceremony at Morodok stadium on Tuesday.
He went sat for lunch with Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association President Terry Capistrano before packing his things to catch a flight to Italy with his physiologist Antonio Guglietta.
Eight athletes figured in the men’s pole vault final with Thailand’s Kasinpob Chomchanad and Patsapong Amsamrang making the podium.