FRESH from registering the best pole vault performance in Asian history, EJ Obiena will lead the 23-strong Philippine team seeing action in the Asian Athletics Championships on July 12-16 in Pattaya, Thailand, where they also seek qualification points to next year’s Paris Olympics.
Two days ago, the World Championship bronze medalist made the elite six-meter club with a tour-de-force performance in the Sparebanken Vest Bergen Jump Challenge in Bergen, Norway, where he became the only Asian to accomplish the feat.
In Pattaya, Mr. Obiena is expected to impose his will, run away with the gold medal and show everyone why he is the region’s best pole-vaulter of all time.
While Mr. Obiena should be a shoe-in to make it to Paris, the rest of the Filipinos including Eric Cray, a gold medalist in the 400m hurdles in this same event six years ago in Bhubaneswar, India, would have to earn spots to the quadrennial meet.
“All major games from July 1 until June 30, 2024 are part of the Olympic qualification system,” Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association secretary-general and executive director Edward Kho said.
The other members of the team deployed to Pattaya are runners Umajesty Williams Michael del Prado, Frederick Ramirez, Joyme Sequita, Maureen Schrijvers, Robyn Brown, Bernalyn Bejoy, Jessel Lumapas, Sonny Wagdos, Arlan Arbois, and Kristina Knott, hurdlers John Tolentino and Clinton Bautista, long jumper Janry Ubas, shot putter Willie Morrison, decathletes Aries Toledo and Johnmike Lera, javelin thrower Gennah Malapit, steeplechaser Joida Gagnao, triple jumper Ronne Malipay, and heptathlete Sarah Dequinan. — Joey Villar