Obiena keeps focus on qualifying
Winning a medal won’t be a goal in EJ Obiena’s next competition at the Estonian Athletics Indoor Championships this weekend.
The world’s No. 4 pole vaulter is focused on securing a spot at the World Indoor Athletics Championships by clearing the qualifying mark of 5.85 meters.
“We will fly to Estonia on Friday and compete this weekend to hit the entry standard for the world indoors,” said Obiena.
The meet at Tallinn Stadium won’t offer Obiena a medal, as it is a national championship sanctioned by World Athletics and primarily intended for Estonia’s homegrown vaulters.
The Filipino pole vault star missed an automatic qualification for the upcoming World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, set for March 21 to 23, after recording a best jump of 5.80 m at the Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland, earlier this week.
He attempted to clear 5.85 m but failed on all three attempts.
Two more meets
According to the World Athletics Indoor Tour calendar, two more meets could provide a qualification opportunity—the All-Star Perche by SCC in Clermont-Ferrand, France, on Feb. 28, and the Mondo Classic in Uppsala, Sweden, on March 13.
So far, Obiena has not confirmed whether he will participate in either event after Estonia.
“We will go there (Estonia) to hit the 5.85-meter mark. Nothing more, nothing less,” said Jim Lafferty, Obiena’s adviser.
“The plan is to qualify this weekend and then sharpen for the worlds,” he added.
Despite the setback in Torun, the two-time Olympian has delivered three podium finishes in four competitions this season.
He opened the year with a silver medal at the International Springer-Meeting Cottbus in Germany on Jan. 30, followed by a gold medal performance at the Meeting Metz Moselle Athlétor in France, where he cleared 5.70 m.
