World number two pole vaulter EJ Obiena struggled with broken poles but still found a way to compete, sharpening his skills en route to the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Broken poles are nothing new for world number two pole vaulter EJ Obiena. Somehow, he finds a way to make it work.
Nearly a week ago, Obiena shared his struggles in transporting his poles.
He recounted how on May 19, his poles were not accepted on a Los Angeles-Rome flight due to a full cargo space. His kababayans came to the rescue.
"Luckily there were two Filipinas that helped and got the poles from check-in counter to cargo and shipped them to the manufacturer," he wrote.
He landed in Rome and Filipina pole vaulter Alyana Nicolas helped in figuring out how to bring the equipment to Europe.
Space in the cargo hold was still an issue, and the poles were sent to a friend's address in California.
On a third booking attempt, Obiena finally had his poles accepted on a Europe-bound flight in hopes of making it in time for a competition.
It did get to Europe on May 25, as Obiena arranged for another flight the next day.
"Drove to the airport and checked in with the poles and flew out. Unfortunately, poles were left in the departure airport and can’t be located. Was calling for the whole afternoon trying to find where the poles are in the airport. 5 p.m. we got a word 'poles were located'. Booked @gugliettaantonio a flight on 27th to hopefully get the poles to me and got the poles picked up from the airport to the other," he wrote.
After all that effort, fate seemingly continued to play with Obiena on the 28th.
"Game day! Broke my pole and only made my opening bar," Obiena recounted. "Frustrating to say the least and very pissed at the whole debacle. Taking what positive I can take on this whole situation and thankfully it seems like I am in one piece."
He did find a way during the Oslo Bislett leg of the Diamond League in Norway, where he tied for second with 5.72 meters, along with four others.
Obiena had the help of Netherlands' Menno Vloon and USA's KC Lightfoot, who helped the Filipino compete with their poles.
Vloon shared the second spot with Obiena, while Lightfoot picked up the gold by clearing 5.82m.
Obiena didn't quite have the same luck in Bauhaus-Galan in Stockholm, Sweden as he fell to seventh place with 5.70m.
Homecrowd darling and reigning world champion Armand Duplantis secured the gold with 6.00m.
"Not my day today. 5.70m here in the wonderful @bauhausgalan . Thank you for the boys for lending me some sticks to jump on. Greatly appreciate it gentlemen," Obiena posted. "Thank you @bauhausgalan for having me. Hope to be back here again and jump a little bit higher."
Obiena though is welcoming these challenges as he tries to improve on the road to the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
"The years competing in Europe give me the tools to sharpen myself in the day-to-day," he said in an interview with Alyssa Valdez on Pilipinas Live's Starting Lineup. "Different variables in competition, different venues. You adapt and learn. Everybody's in the same field, at the same time, in the same conditions. Let's see who wins."
Obiena has always represented the Philippines in all of these competitions, and the pressure will be the greatest in Paris 2024. He welcomes this challenge, as a motivation to improve and earn the right to bear the flag.
"I see it more as a privilege, to be able to wear the flag," he said. "This is not a given, this is something I need to pay to be able to wear. It is still a privilege to be able to wear the flag, to be able to feel the pressure as well, to be able to feel that expectation, all that pressure that comes with it."
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