(UPDATE) FILIPINO pole vaulter Ernest John "EJ" Obiena might have posted one of the worst finishes in his career at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, on March 4, but overall, he's still hitting the right markers in his buildup for the Paris Olympics in July.
Obiena himself made this assessment late Tuesday afternoon in a press conference, where he's introduced as the newest Filipino athlete ambassador of Visa, joining fellow Olympian in gymnast Carlos Yulo and Filipinas' Inna Palacios.
"So far so good. Things are going the way we planned. Still, a few more months to go [before the Olympics]. We're hitting the right markers at the right time," said Obiena, who placed ninth in the World Indoors with just a 5.65-meter (m) clearance.
Obiena, who holds the Asian record of 6.0-m clearance, the reality of sports and him being a human at the end of the day just took centerstage in the Worlds.
"We're hitting the marks that we believe we should and unfortunately, the human side of me showed two days ago, and I was not able to showcase what I believe I could, and it's the reality of sports. I move on, and I look forward to the outdoor season and prepare, and focus on the main goal, which is, again, Paris 2024."
The 28-year-old Obiena started his indoor season with a gold medal at the Memorijal Josip Gasparac in Croatia followed by another gold at the Istaf meet in Berlin, where he posted the new Asian indoor record of 5.93-m clearance.
Winning the aforementioned tournaments only reinforced Obiena's belief that he could also win a medal in the Worlds despite knowing full well that it's no easy task, the whole indoor season wasn't.
"I need to be more prepared. If there's a theme with the indoor season for me, it was a gamble. My outdoor season last year started, ended quite late. This is no excuse for my performance, and I take full responsibility in placing ninth. I made my decision. I went to the field, and I knew going into the field I could [win a] medal, and I could win, and this is why I decided to take part," said Obiena, the world No. 2 pole vaulter.
Obiena, who hails from Tondo, said that he will open his outdoor season in May.
Last year, Obiena reached the podium 15 times out of the 16 outdoor tournaments he participated in.
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