RETURNING to the place where his pole vault journey first took flight, EJ Obiena soared to victory with two gold medals at the Taiwan International Pole Vault competition.
Eight years since he last competed in Taiwan, the world No. 4 came back older and stronger to dominate both the outdoor and indoor competitions over the weekend.
Obiena cleared 5.50 meters in the outdoor event despite challenging zero-visibility conditions at Sun Moon Lake, a picturesque tourist destination in Nantou City situated 2,454 feet above sea level.
While no stranger to foggy conditions, this experience was unlike any other.
“During my many travels for pole vault competitions, I’ve encountered fog warnings at airports where visibility is low. But today, I experienced something entirely new—a fog warning in the middle of a competition. With only about 10 meters of visibility, you just disappear,” the Filipino pole vault star shared.
Obiena outperformed 21 other competitors from Australia, England, Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, and host nation Chinese Taipei.
He bested American Matt Ludwig, who took the silver with a 5.30-meter jump, while fellow Filipino Hokket Delos Santos recorded a personal best of 5.15 meters, finishing in 10th place.
“Talk about a literal ‘leap of faith!’ I decided to go for it and placed my trust in God’s hands. Winning under such murky conditions reminds me that we can’t always have sunny skies and perfect weather. We must persevere through all kinds of adversity, and this was a new challenge that taught me a valuable lesson,” Obiena added.
In the indoor event, Obiena did better and clinched another gold by clearing 5.62 meters on his first attempt.
Thailand’s Patsapong Amsarang secured silver with a 5.42-meter jump, while Ludwig took bronze at 5.32 meters.
His mother, former national team coach Jeanette, recalled that it was in Taiwan where Obiena, who was then 12 years old, first achieved his 3-meter, 4-meter, and 5-meter jumps.