EJ Obiena braved thick fog and murky conditions to claim the gold medal at the Taiwan International Pole Vault Championship on Sunday at Sun Moon Lake in Nantou.
The 28-year-old Filipino Olympian cleared 5.50 meters to kick off his outdoor season with a win, edging out American Matt Ludwig, who finished with 5.30 meters.
Filipino teammates Hokket Delos Santos and Francis Allen Sillar placed third and fourth, respectively, with marks of 5.15 meters and 3.91 meters.
Obiena, the world No. 2 in men’s pole vault, shared the unusual conditions of the event in a post on Instagram, describing it as a rare test even for a seasoned international competitor.
“Well I had a new experience a few days ago,” Obiena wrote.
“I had my first fog warning in the midst of a pole vault competition, in Taiwan. Here (3rd slide) is what the approach looked like heading towards the vault. You just disappear. Talk about the proverbial ‘Leap of faith!’”
Despite near-zero visibility during his run-up, Obiena said he chose to trust in his preparation and faith.
“Well I decided to go for it and place my leap of faith in God’s hand. I am thankful to have won the competition under such ‘murky’ conditions!” he said.
Obiena also reflected on how adversity shaped his growth as an athlete, noting that this was not the first time he triumphed under unpredictable weather.
“We can’t always have sunny skies and perfect weather conditions,” he said.
“We have to persevere through all kinds of adversity. This was a new kind of adversity and I definitely learned from it!”
His win in Taiwan marks his third title of the year, following victories at the Orlen Copernicus Cup in Poland and the Metz Moselle Athlelor in France—both indoor events.
The Taiwan victory also served as his first competition of the outdoor season after skipping the World Indoor Championships earlier this month due to insufficient competition buildup.
Obiena is the current Asian record holder in men’s pole vault with a personal best of 6.00 meters.
He is also the only Asian athlete in history to breach the 6-meter mark and remains a strong contender heading into the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Obiena’s campaign is backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and private sponsors, and he continues to train in Italy under coach Vitaly Petrov.
The Taiwan meet was part of his strategic buildup toward the Asian Athletics Championships and the Olympics, where he is aiming to give the Philippines its first athletics medal since 1936.
Obiena is expected to compete in more outdoor events in Europe in the coming weeks.
