Ernest John Obiena’s new training environment under Polish coach Marcin Szczepański has exceeded expectations, with the Filipino pole vaulter crediting the competitive atmosphere led by Greek star Emmanouil Karalis for reigniting his passion for the sport.

The Asian record holder said the new setup has helped him rediscover his love for pole vault after enduring years of injuries and inconsistent performances.

Obiena, 30, reached a season-best 5.85 meters to earn a silver-medal finish at the Meeting Madrid in Spain on 17 July.

“So far, so good. I’m very happy with where I’m at. Training with someone like Emmanouil really brings out the competitive side of everyone day in and day out. You’re more focused, more intentional with every attempt and every training session,” Obiena said.

“It almost feels like a second coming. I have a totally different approach now, a different motivation and a different perspective on the sport. I’m just happy to be doing what I love and competing at the highest level where I believe I belong.”

Obiena stressed that his decision to part ways with longtime coach Vitaly Petrov was one of the hardest of his career.

Before transferring to Athens, Obiena was based in Formia, Italy, where he trained under Petrov.

He emphasized that there was no falling out between them, saying both eventually agreed that a change was necessary.

“I love the guy. He built me and made my career. He’s done so much for me that it was an incredibly difficult decision,” Obiena said.

“We tried a lot of things to make it work, and honestly, I have no complaints about Vitaly. Sometimes you’re just so comfortable with the people around you that you don’t realize how much more you can grow by putting yourself in a different environment.”

Obiena’s form will be tested as several major tournaments are just around the corner.

For one, Obiena will be tasked with defending his gold medal at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, from 19 September to 4 October.

He also has a chance to reset the Asian Games record of 5.90m that he set during the 19th edition in Hangzhou, China, in 2023.

Obiena is also vying for a spot in the Diamond League Final, where he is aiming to secure one of the top six spots in Brussels in September.

However, he will have to finish in the top three in each of the remaining three legs in Lausanne, Silesia and Zurich to keep his hopes of qualifying for the final alive.