DUE to the long overland drive from Nagasaki to Tokyo, pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena has scrapped plans for a pre-season camp in Japan and, from Europe, will head straight to the Japanese capital for the Olympic men’s pole vault event starting on July 31, according to his father-coach Emerson Obiena.
“Recovering from the 15-hour drive from Nagasaki to Tokyo will require more than three days,” explained the elder Obiena.
“Kapag ganyan katagal ang biyahe and ganyan ang pagod ni EJ, it will take him three to four days para makatalon. Sayang ang panahon. Bawa’t araw, bawa’t oras di dapat masayang,” noted the national pole vault coach.
He said EJ is set to leave from the World Athletics elite training camp in Formia, Italy around July 22 or 23 and he would be reunited with his son as part of the coaching staff in Japanese capital.
The elder Obiena said that Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov, who heads the World Athletics elite training camp, would be more focused on Rio Olympic gold medalist Tiago Braz when the Olympic men’s pole vault begins with the trials on July 31 and finals on Aug. 3 at the Japan National Stadium.
