“You understand, Renaud (Lavillenie) was best, the chances was basically in the go for, but Thiago only need they so incredibly bad he managed to get performs. He generated 6.03 to your most significant stage out of his existence inside the family nation and you may an Olympic number. That is just crazy.
“And today I’m extremely hungry for this and i also really want one. I am merely dealing with exactly what could improve my odds of providing gold you to definitely time.
“We are going to see what happens at the time itself and going in here, now more jumps that i just take, the more method which i know, the greater number of uniform I’m able to end up being, the better that we can dive, it just helps everything you sorts of boost my personal opportunity on that day.”
How EJ Obiena turned into a-pole vaulter
“It was not for example, Okay, now i am probably going to be a pole vaulter,” jokes EJ, “I was a hurdler earliest up to twelfth grade.”
“However, my father’s a-pole vaulter, therefore we merely go out and often We starred doing with they. We loved this new free slip. If you ask me so you’re able to plunge away from a dive panel 10 yards large, I’m going to be scared s. but imagine if We generate an excellent four metre pole-vault, even assisted, after which I’m 100 % free dropping, Everyone loves those people times. That’s that moment of enjoyment you create.
“In some way it makes it faster terrifying in fact it is the type from the sport. That second whenever dad is type of flinging me to the brand new pit are fun. Due to the fact good child, at that time, I was like, oh, it is sweet. I’d like which. I recently want to keep doing it.”
“Upcoming while in the twelfth grade, I happened to be particularly, Ok, I would like to test it out for since the you will find race I can actually register.”
EJ is an organic, both their mom Jeanette and you can father Emerson was track and field players. Father portrayed the newest Philippines on the Noivas Irlanda The southern area of Asian Games, mom went obstacles to possess their own university.
“I usually watched (Sergey) Bubka growing right up just like the a pole vaulter, usually such as the method he jumped, I always saw Daichi Sawano regarding The japanese, he was such as a rather brief guy but so fast. And, the 2004 Olympic champion Tim Mack, constantly enjoyable viewing him since they are form of an enthusiastic unorthodox form of procedure.
“We enjoyed enjoying Filipino a lot of time jumper Henry Decmil, and my father with his members of the family. I’d plenty of motivations!
“More sluggish and you may seriously, they build for me, are competitive during my age group immediately after which in the united kingdom it just variety of changed, you are sure that, I was thinking it was a thing that could get myself a great scholarship into school, a free of charge journey, after which I was like competing towards Philippines since a beneficial junior. I thought I could be good on The southern area of Far eastern top.”
Ej Obiena fits Sergey Bubka
When he got a message saying brand new Ukranian way of life legend Sergey Bubka – whom stored thirty five pole vault industry ideas, half dozen globe headings and you will an Olympic gold medal – was a student in urban area, EJ ran shopping for a photograph or an autograph and you can had a great deal more.
“We wouldn’t be in which I am today in the place of him, the guy unwrapped lots, numerous gates for my situation. I’d haven’t found my personal advisor, wouldn’t keeps fulfilled my personal education partner, I won’t additionally be during the Italy now. I wouldn’t made all of the conclusion I did so versus meeting him.
“I happened to be only an enthusiastic 18 yr old jumping five metres, little sensational about any of it. And then he said, ‘if your diving four metres, we are going to send you so you’re able to Italy, it is possible to train’, as well as you to time We watched world-class sports athletes daily hence types of open my personal vision as an effective child upcoming away from South-east Western area in which track isn’t that large.