Packed September for Olympics-bound EJ Obiena

MANILA, Philippines – Tokyo-bound EJ Obiena will have a busy September schedule as he plunges back into action starting with the International Golden Roof Challenge late Friday in Innsbruck, Austria.

The 24-year-old Obiena had already arrived in Innsbruck from Formia, Italy for the first of the four to six competitions he is planning to participate as part of his preparation for next year’s Olympics.

“EJ is in Austria now,” said Obiena’s mother, Janet.

This will be the fifth meet for the reigning Southeast Asian Games gold medalist and record-holder and he hopes to improve on his past performances that saw him snare a pair of silver and a bronze.

He cleared 5.62 meters for fifth place in Poland, 5.45m for a silver in Trieste, 5.70m for a bronze in the Diamond League in Monaco and a 5.60m for a silver medal in a virtual event.

Obiena will next compete in the 59th Ostrava Golden Spike in the Czech Republic on September 8 and then see action in two or four more events including the Diamond League leg in Rome, Italy on September 17.

And then he takes a break and restart training late this year.