THERE’S no other way but up for Ernest John ‘EJ’ Obiena as the Asian champion cleared 5.85 meters for the first time on Friday since the the Paris 2024 Olympics.
‘It feels good that I’m getting there slowly with new trainers guiding and coaching me,’ Obiena told BusinessMirror afterposting his season best in the Meeting Madrid on Friday at the Estadio Vallehermoso in Madrid, Spain.
Obiena clinched the silver medal via countback over Portugal’sPedro Buaro with Germany’s Bo Kanda Lita Baehre winning goldwith his personal best of 5.90 meters.
Only a week ago, the two-time Olympian Obiena, 30, cleared 5.81 meters at the Fly Athens in Greece and although he didn’t make the podium in his new training camp, he was able to recover from a dismal fourth place at the Panathenaic Stadium last July 5.
‘All serious work since I arrived in my new training facility,’ said Obiena, ranked No. 14 in the world. ‘No time for recreation as I train every day.’
He added: ‘I’m thankful to coach Marcin and of course to Vitaly (Petrov).’
Obiena now trains under Marcin Szczepanski Marcin, a renowned Greek coach, but still consults with Petrov.
Obiena cleared 5.80 meters in the Gyulai Istvan Memorial Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix in Budapest last Tuesday but finished sixth in the competition topped by Olympic and world record holder Armand Duplantis (6.07m), Kurtis Marshall (6.0m) and Emmanouil Karalis (5.90m).
Obiena has won two gold and two silver medals in eight outdoor tournaments this season-he ruled the Czeslaw Cybulski Memorial in Poznan, Poland, last June 30 and Raiffeisen Austrian Open last July 2 in Eisenstadt, Austria.
He’ll be back in Athens in a day to prepare for the HalberstadterHohenflug Internationales Stabhochsprung Meet in Halberstadtthis weekend.
‘He’s consistently improving. He is moving onto bigger poles,’Obiena’s adviser Jim Lafferty said. ‘He’s invigorated by the new training environment and the camaraderie and competitiveness of being with top vaulters and jumpers every day. I think the best is yet to come.’