Friends and foes alike

There’s a special bond between World No. 2 pole vaulter Emmanouil Karalis of Greece and World No. 13 EJ Obiena. They’re friends and foes alike. They train together with Polish coach Marcin Szczepanski in Athens, pushing each other, inspiring each other and testing each other. In actual competition, they’re fierce rivals, dating back to when they tied for third place with identical 5.90m jumps at the 2024 Paris Olympics only Karalis snatched the bronze on countback as Obiena had a failed attempt at 5.80m. Without the failed try, Obiena and Karalis would’ve shared the bronze.

Obiena, 30, moved his base camp from Formia, Italy, to Athens this year, hoping the change in vibe would lead to a third Olympic stint in Los Angeles in 2028. “The decision is slowly paying off,” said Obiena. “No complaints. I’m training with Karalis. We’re competitors even though we’re good friends. The competition flows into training. I think I’m adapting and more controlled than before. It’s really mind over matter. In Madrid when I did 5.85m, I used a small pole. Then, I went for 5.95m. Coach Marcin told me not to overthink it. I was confident and used a bigger pole which is stiffer and can store more energy than a softer pole, not as flexible as it’s harder to bend but can bring you higher. Pole vault is very different from other events in athletics. If you don’t calculate your jump well, you could get injured, land even outside the pit. The LRT has a height of 4.85m up to the ceiling and in Madrid, I jumped 5.85m. I tried to do 5.95m thrice and in between attempts, I sort of panicked. That’s something I need to control and I’m working on it.”

In 20 competitions so far this year, Obiena has collected seven golds over 11 podium finishes. Since vaulting to World No. 2 with two 6.00m clearances in 2023, Obiena has slipped to No. 14 and is now up to No. 13. His goal is to crack the top 10 before the Asian Games where he’s scheduled to compete on Sept. 29. An immediate target is to qualify for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest on Sept. 11-13. Only eight vaulters will compete in the event with a record $10 million prize pool.

At the Asian Games, Obiena will be challenged by Qatar’s Seifeldin Abdelsalam who has improved from World No. 20 to No. 17. At the Stabhochsprung Meeting in Jockgrim, Germany, last Aug. 5, Abdelsalam tied Obiena with a 5.83m clearance but lost the gold on countback. Abdelsalam, 21, has landed four podium finishes with two golds in eight competitions this year but registered two NHs (No Height). Obiena’s next event is the Golden Sand at the Promenade Gwiazd in Miedzyzdroje, Poland, this morning (Manila time).