EJ on track to hitting Olympic qualifying mark

MANILA, Philippines — If EJ Obiena’s bronze-medal effort in the 62nd Ostrava Golden Spike in the Czech Republic would serve as a gauge in his Paris Olympics quest, then the 2022 World Championships third-placer from the Philippines is right on track.

With the Olympic qualifying cycle around the bend, Obiena achieved what he initially came for, effortlessly breaching the 5.82-meter Paris Games standard with plenty to spare as he cleared 5.90m.

It didn’t qualify the world No. 3 and Asian record-holder just yet as the qualifying process officially starts when the clock hits July 1.

But it was an indication that Obiena, barring any untoward incident, would inevitably do so and make his second trip to the greatest sports show on earth after his Tokyo Games appearance.

Forget about the Southeast Asian Games king falling and succumbing versus Armand Duplantis, the world record holder and Olympic champion who won the Ostrava with a magnificent 6.12m, again.

And never mind that Obiena missed out on a silver, losing it to lower-ranked Australian Kurtis Marschall who soared past 5.90m right on his first attempt.

What mattered was Obiena’s capability to handle 5.82m and get the job done.

The bronze was just icing on the cake.

And Obiena, now a member of the elite 6.0m club, should get it done as he goes directly for that precious Olympic berth in one of the two meets he has lined up for himself – the Wanda Diamond League’s Bauhaus-Galan set July 2 in Stockholm, Sweden and the Meeting International de Sotteville slated July 7 in France.