PARIS - Sa kanyang ikalawang sunod na Olympics ay tatangkain ni EJ Obiena na makalundag ng gold medal sa men’s pole vault finals.
“I’m just going to do my thing, make the right things,” sabi ni Obiena sa bisperas ng bigating aerial showdown sa athletics events sa Stade de France bukas ng gabi.
Hangad niyang maging ikalawang Pinoy athlete na nanalo ng Olympic medal sa athletics matapos ang bronze ni Simeon Toribio sa high jump noong 1932 Los Angeles Games.
Muling makakatapat ng World No. 2 na si Obiena ang ilang pamilyar na karibal kasama si supernova titleholder Armand “Mondo” Duplantis ng Sweden na mangunguna sa 12-man cast.
Base sa starting vault distance sa qualifying round, paboritong manalo sina Duplantis, Obiena at Greek Emmanouil Karalis.
“No injuries issue. Things are beginning to fall in the right places. He was able to make quick adjustments on the field. He is ready to do battle,” sabi ni Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Terry Capistrano kay Obiena.
Matapos makalusot sa qualifying ay kalmado at kumpiyansa na si Obiena mula sa paggiya ni legendary coach Vitaly Petrov.
Ang iba pang tatarget ng ginto ay sina Sondre Guttormsen ng Norway, Ersu Sasma ng Turkey, Oleg Zernikel ng Germany, Memmo Vloon ng Netherlands, American Sam Kendricks, Chinese Huang Bokai, German Bo Kanda Baehre, Latvian Valters Kreiss at Australian Kurtis Marschall.