EJ Obiena wins gold in foggy Taiwan pole vault competition

World No. 4 EJ Obiena secured a gold medal victory at the Taiwan International Pole Vault competition on Sunday in Nantou City, overcoming challenging foggy conditions.

Obiena cleared a height of 5.50 meters to win first place ahead of American Matt Ludwig who finished second with a clearance of 5.30 meters.

The competition took place under limited visibility due to fog, affecting the athletes' performance and causing Obiena to miss his first two attempts at 5.50m before successfully clearing it on his third try.

Fellow Filipino pole vaulters Hokket Delos Santos achieved a personal-best jump of 5.15 meters and Francis Allen Sillar finished at 3.91 meters, placing them tenth and eleventh overall respectively.

Obiena emphasized the importance of perseverance in adverse conditions, calling it a 'leap of faith' that helps athletes learn and grow.

The Filipino Olympian expressed gratitude for winning under such challenging weather conditions and highlighted the lessons learned from persevering through adversity.