MANILA, Philippines — With less than a week before the Paris Olympics gets unveiled, Filipino pole-vaulter EJ Obiena has alarmingly admitted he may be encountering some problems leading to his Olympic quest.
“If you had asked me a year ago how I would envision the perfect Olympic preparation, well it certainly wouldn’t be what has transpired,” Obiena said on social media.
“It has been what can only be termed a bumpy road for me this season.”
“Despite my best efforts at conditioning, fitness and discipline, I have been battling with various physical problems since April,” he added.
The world No. 2 and Asian champion did not specifically mention what exactly has bothered him this season, but he stressed he has done everything to keep his worries in check while keeping him on track as he plunges into action in the French capital.
He vowed to give it everything to achieve his goal of delivering the country’s first Olympic medal in the sport since Miguel White’s 400-meter hurdles bronze in the 1936 Berlin Games.