Italy-based world No. 2 EJ Obiena is sharpening his skills as he kicks off his indoor pole vault season in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
As of this writing, the Tondo native is currently in Osijek, Croatia competing in the Memorial Josip Gašparac.
“Time to knock some rust off!!!” Obiena said in a social media post.
“Tomorrow here @osijekmeeting at 6:30 p.m. (local time) we open this indoor season!”
Obiena currently has three competitions planned to start his indoor season.
After the Croatian meet, Obiena will play at the ISTAF Berlin in Germany on 23 February before flying to Glasgow, Scotland for the World Indoor Championships on 3 March.
Christopher Nilsen and KC Lightfoot of the United States, Australia’s Kurtis Marschall and Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Armand Duplantis of Sweden are expected to compete in these tournaments as well, giving Obiena a tough challenge.
Also slated to join him in Scotland is hurdler John Cabang, who punched his ticket after being one of the athletes who entered via the world rankings quota.
Cabang, a Filipino athlete based in Spain, recently reset the national record in the men’s 60-meter hurdles after clocking in 7.64 seconds in the 11th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships at the Aftab Enghelab Sports Complex in Tehran last week where he took home a bronze medal.
