2020 OLYMPICS: EJ OBIENA BECOMES THE FIRST FILIPINO TO QUALIFY TO THE 2020 OLYMPICS

The Philippines' quest for our first Olympic gold medal has begun.

Pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena just became the first Filipino athlete to qualify to the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.  EJ was able to qualify by clearing 5.81 meters in an athletic meet in Italy.

With this jump, EJ was again able to set a new Philippine national record, eclipsing the record he set earlier this year at 5.76 meters.

CNN Philippines' Sportsdesk posted in their Twitter account a video of Obiena's jump:

WATCH: Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena clears 5.81 meters in an athletics meet in Italy, making him the first Filipino to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics 👏🏽🇵🇭 https://t.co/wAKaxrZvLD pic.twitter.com/moNKNWpQIV

— CNN Philippines Sports Desk (@sportsdeskph) September 4, 2019

I hope this will be the start of the influx of athletes that would qualify to the Olympics. Laban Pilipinas!

philippines will be represented in the 2014 winter olympics

after 22 years of absence in the winter olympics, philippines will be making a comeback this year with our lone qualifier. he is none other than michael christian martinez of figure skating.

michael is 17 year old and is from paranaque city. he qualified for the winter olympics by placing 7th in the 2013 nebelhorn trophy. michael will be one of only 30 men who will perform in the figure skating event in the olympics.

he is currently being coached by john nicks, ilia kulik and maria teresa martinez. he has been training both here in the philippines and in the united states.

he will be performing at iceberg skating palace in sochi, russia on february 13 (short program) and february 14 (free skate). the winter olympics will be covered locally by tv5. let us all hope that we will be able to watch him.

good luck to you michael and hope to see more of you in the coming years!

image is from http://www.philippineedition.com/2013/10/michael-martinez-first-pinoy-to-qualify.html