TOKYO—Ernest John “EJ” Obiena has one battle to get rid of days before he steps on the field of the National Stadium with his pole—jet lag.
“We have to gradually allow EJ to adjust to the time zone,” Obiena’s father, Emerson, told BusinessMirror over breakfast at the Conrad Tokyo on Monday.
Obiena has made Italy, specifically at the world pole vault center in Formia, as his base at least for the last two years. Tokyo is seven hours ahead of Italy.
“We’re doing it one hour a day for EJ to adjust,” the elder Obiena said.
It’s crucial for Obiena to adjust his body clock, Emerson said, in time for the Tokyo Olympics men’s pole vault competitions on Saturday.
“His event starts at 8:45 a.m. [7:45 a.m. in Manila],” Emerson said.
Obiena and his team arrived in Tokyo last Friday and are still billeted at Conrad Tokyo. They are expected to move to the Olympic Village this week.
Besides his dad, Obiena also has on his team Italian osteopath and physiotherapist Antonio Guglietta and physiotherapist Niko Viscusi.
“He’s doing OK,” Guglietta said when asked about Obiena’s condition.
Obiena will be contending not only world record holder Armand Duplantis, but also his training partner and pal Rio Olympics champion Thiago Braz of Brazil.
The 25-year-old Obiena targets a podium finish in the Olympics, a goal he hinged on a personal best and Philippine record 5.87-meter leap he set in one of his European sorties ahead of Tokyo.
Duplantis is the favorite in the event with his 6.18m world indoor record, while Braz owns a 6.03m Olympic record he set at home in Rio in 2016.