Obiena target ang medalya sa World Athletics Championships

MANILA, Philippines — Ito na ang pagkakataon ni World No. 6 Ernest John Obiena na makagawa ng kasaysayan bilang kauna-unahang Pinoy na nanalo ng medalya sa World Athle­tics Championships.

Sasalang si Obiena sa pole vault fi­nals ngayong araw kaharap ang mga world champions at Olympians sa Eugene, Oregon.

“Normally I only get to thank people when I win. Well for me, being here in Eugene, set to compete in the final of World Cham­pion­ships is already a big win,” ani Obiena.

Umabante ang Asian record-holder at Southeast Asian Games gold meda­list sa top 12 matapos lumun­dag ng 5.75 meters sa qua­lification phase noong Sabado.

Malaki ang tsansa ni Obiena sa medalya kung mu­li niyang maitatala ang kan­yang Asian record na 5.93m sa 2021 Golden Roof Challenge sa Innsbruck, Austria.

“After all of the things that have happened, from missing my supposed to be first World Indoor Championship earlier this year, to con­tracting COVID-19 a few weeks back, we are here,” dagdag ng 26-anyos na Pinoy pride.

Kasama sa grupo sina Tokyo Olympic champion at world record-holder Ar­mand Duplantis ng Swe­­den, Olympic silver me­dalist at World No. 2 Chris­topher Nilsen ng US at Olympic bronze medal winner Thiago Braz ng Bra­zil.

Nasa finals rin sina Germans Oleg Zernikel at Bo Kanda Lita Baehre, Belgian Ben Broeders, Turk Ersu Sas­ma, French Renaud La­villenie, Norweigians Pal Haugen Lillefosse at Sondre Guttormsen at Dutch Menno Vloon.