Expectations will be high for world no. 3 pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena, even as the national men’s 4×400 meter relay team faces big challenges in the 2023 Asian Athletics Championship in Pattaya, Thailand next month.
The relay squad of Umajesty Williams, William Ramirez, Michael del Prado and Joyme Sequita is preparing to come up with faster times and possibly go for a Philippine national record during their stint in the Asian meet.
“It’s understood that EJ is going to shine here. He will be unbeatable. But for the relay team, this will be a test for them,” said national athletics’ coach Jojo Posadas.
Williams, Del Prado, Ramirez and Sequita won the gold medal in the recent Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and came close to the national mark with their time of three minutes and 7.22 seconds.
Posadas said it will be the aim of the four to surpass the Philippine record, which Marlon Pagalilavan, Romeo Gido, Honesto Larce and Isidro Del Prado accomplished in the 1995 SEA Games, where they clocked 3:06.58.
Finishing well in the individual events will also be the goal of Williams and Ramirez, who have also been doing well in the 400-meter distance.
Obiena is expected to make an impact when he competes in Pattaya after he cleared the height of 6.0 meters to earn the gold medal in the Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway over the weekend.
In the process, the 27-year-old Obiena became the 24th pole vaulter to make the rare feat, which he achieved in one attempt during the meet.
Obiena is in a buildup of his own as he aims for a stint in the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.
Also listed in the Pattaya meet are women’s relay specialists Maureen Schrijvers, Robyn Brown, Bernalyn Bejoy and Jessel Lumapas.
Sonny Wagdos will see action in the men’s 5000- and 10000-meter runs, while John Cabang Tolentino will compete in the men’s 110-meter hurdles with Clinton Bautista.
SEA Games’ eight-time gold medalist Eric Cray is competing in the men’s 400-meter hurdles.
Janry Ubas (high jump), William Morrison (shotput), Aries Toledo (decathlon) and Arlan Arbois (10,000 meters) are also listed, with John Mike Lera (decathlon) and Genna Malapit (javelin throw).