Taipei: Taiwan’s Ren Chun-ying recorded a personal best to bag a gold medal in the women’s pole vault at the 2025 Thailand Open Track and Field Championships on Sunday. Ren emerged victorious from among eight competitors in her international debut by clearing 4.13 meters in her second attempt in the final. Her personal best had been 4.10 m.

According to Focus Taiwan, it was the second-best pole vault by a Taiwanese woman in track and field history. The national record is 4.20 m, set by Wu Chia-ju in 2018 at the same event in Thailand. The result came as a surprise to the 23-year-old Ren, who said she felt nervous and had not imagined breaking her own record, not to mention winning a gold medal. “But I told myself to focus on showcasing what I’ve done in training and let it be,” she told CNA after the meet.

Tsai Chien-ming, the head coach of Taiwan’s team competing in the B-class competition in Thailand, praised the pole vault prospect for giving it her best amid many challenges, such as the windy, humid weather, a schedule change, and the pressure of competition. Ren first cleared 4 meters in 2021, after which she started training at the National Sports Training Center in Kaohsiung. She said she had developed better skills and run faster thanks to the training over the last three years, enabling her to compete with a heavier pole.

She said she is going to focus on the National Games in October and is looking to clear 4.20 m to qualify for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. In addition to Ren, Chen Yi-chu also won a gold medal in men’s shot put with a 17.32-meter throw, while Liu Chih-jen secured a bronze in the women’s discus throw.