Obiena recalls ordeal with Olympic dream in peril

MANILA, Philippines -- With his dream hanging in the balance, EJ Obiena mustered enough confidence to take the leap and punch his ticket to the men’s pole vault final in the Paris Olympics.

Obiena, the World No. 2 pole vaulter, struggled in the start of qualifications.

After skipping the first height -- 5.40 meters -- he had his turn on the 5.60 meters.

However, the 28-year-old Obiena could not go over cleanly.

He then tried once again, but the same result happened.

With his back against the wall, Obiena and his coach opted to raise the bar and attempt a 5.70.

This time around, he flew over the bar and finally got his rhythm.

“My dream was on the line with one jump. It’s stressful as it can be,” Obiena said after the qualifications, as posted by One Sports.

“I was really trying to focus. Take it easy, relax, trust your coach, because he made the call. I was like, are you sure? We missed two attempts at 60, you wanna go 70? And I’ve not made a bar. I said 'Are you sure?'And he said, 'Yeah. Move up a pole',” he added.

“Internally, I was like 'Why are you so calm?' I’m literally stressed out and you’re so calm. That helped and I just did what he told me and I executed.”

After leaping over 5.70 meters, he cleared 5.75 meters with ease, solidifying his spot in the final.

Asia’s top pole vaulter waited three years for the opportunity once again.

In the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, he finished 11th and was frustrated as he was one of the medal favorites of the Philippines.

But now, he is making the most out of this chance.

“Dude, three years man, that was on the line. Three years of things I’ve gone through and everything, it was on the line at that jump,” he said.

“So, I guess it just burst out of me.”

In an Instagram post, Obiena also apologized for the “emotional rollercoaster” with his jumps.

“Sorry po sa mga napakaba ko… Ako rin po kinabahan nang todo ng di ko maintindihan,” he posted on social media.

“Thank you to everyone who stuck through the emotional rollercoaster.”

Obiena will try to bag a medal on Tuesday at 1 a.m. (Manila time).