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Better, stronger EJ Obiena in Xiamen tournament

Sports

Better, stronger EJ Obiena in Xiamen tournament

At A Glance

Expect a better performance from Olympic pole vaulter EJ Obiena as he plunges back into action in the Xiamen leg of the Diamond League this weekend.

Expect a better performance from Olympic pole vaulter EJ Obiena as he plunges back into action in the Xiamen leg of the Diamond League this weekend.

EJ Obiena (Obiena's FB post)

Obiena's mother, Jeanette, revealed on Tuesday, April 22, that the Asian record holder has fully recovered from his back injury which had sidelined him for several months since his appearance in the Paris Games.

The 29-year-old athlete is trying his best to accumulate points that would earn him a ticket to the Diamond League finals set in Zurich, Switzerland this August.

Though injury-free, the challenge is still daunting for the two-time Olympian as the 11-man field in the China leg is composed of world No. 1 Armand Duplantis of Sweden, USA’s Sam Kendricks, Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis, and Turkey’s Ersu Sasma, to name a few.

But her mom believes that the well-rested EJ can deliver a stellar showing this time compared to his performances in the indoor season, knowing his son had ample time to recover, rest, and train.

“Well, they're targeting to have a much better height than the indoor of course, kasi sobrang in-season na oras ‘yong indoor, hindi siya nakaka-prepare talaga for the indoor,” said Jeannette during Tuesday’s PSA Forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Smart/PLDT, and the country’s 24/7 sports app ArenaPlus.

“So he’s hoping to do a better one, sa nakita naman namin no’ng last training, he’s doing good,” she added.

After winning a gold in a Taiwan tournament where he leapt 5.50 meters, EJ flew back here in the country where he set up a training camp at Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus, Cavite.

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Jeanette Obiena EJ Obiena

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