EJ Obiena overcomes foggy conditions to rule Taiwan tiff

Even challenging weather conditions couldn’t stop EJ Obiena from making a "leap of faith" as he ruled the Taiwan International Pole Vault Championship on Sunday at the Sun Moon Lake in Nantou.

The victory marked the beginning of Obiena's outdoor season bid after announcing earlier this month that he'd be missing the world Indoor Championship due to lack of competitions.

"Well I had a new experience a few days ago. 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”!" Obiena said in an Instagram post.  

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Ernest Obiena (@ernestobienapv)

"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!"

This wasn't the first time Obiena had to hurdle challenging conditions in a competition.

Back in the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia, the Filipino pole vault ace also had to weather heavy rains and strong winds en route to the crown.

He ended up ruling the tournament after clearing 5.65 meters to capture his third straight title.

"We can’t always have sunny skies and perfect weather conditions. We have to persevere through all kinds of adversity. This was a new kind of adversity and I definitely learned from it!"

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News