High Jump standout Woo Sang-hyuk.
High jumper Woo Sang-hyuk (27, Yongin City Hall) has made history in Korean athletics. He won gold at
the World Athletics Diamond League Final.
Woo won the men’s high jump with a height of 2.35 meters at the World Athletics Diamond League Finals
2023 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, USA, 스포츠토토 on Sunday (July 17).
Woo’s golden leap beat out Norbert Kowielski (Poland) and Jubon Harrison (USA), who both cleared 2.33 meters.
The first South Korean athlete to reach the final, Woo’s victory earned him $30,000 (approximately
$40,000) in prize money and a diamond-shaped trophy.
The World Athletics Federation’s Diamond League has a total of 14 events a year. Athletes are ranked
based on ranking points accumulated in 13 events, and only six of them can compete in the 14th final,
which is a “king of the hill” event. Woo Sang-hyuk, who qualified for the Final this year in fourth place, 토토 won a dream gold medal in his first attempt.
Woo was also fortunate that last year’s World Champion and reigning World Champion Mutaz Essa
Barshim (Qatar) and World Champion Jean-Marco Tamberi (Italy) were unable to compete. Barshim is
reportedly preparing for a gold medal at the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Woo had an easy first round of 2.15m, 2.20m, 2.25m, and 2.29m. Woo and Harrison were the only athletes who didn’t fail to reach 2m29.
With momentum on his side, Woo took sole possession of first place with a single jump of 2.33 meters.
Kowielski cleared the same height in the first period and Harrison struggled in the third, putting pressure on Woo.
But Woo showed a strong backbone. He missed his personal best of 2.35 meters, which he had cleared at
last year’s World Championships, in the first and second periods, but he managed to clear the bar in the
third period, just barely touching it. Woo roared in disbelief.
With both Kowielski and Harrison failing to clear 2m35, Woo’s gold medal was sealed.
“The Diamond League Final trophy is something I’ve been dreaming of since I was a young athlete,” Woo
said on his social media accounts after the race, “I could only dream of it, and I’m so happy. Thank you to
everyone who supported me.”
Woo also secured his place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The Olympic standard for the high jump in
Paris is 2.33 meters, which will be accepted from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.
After completing both the World Championships and Diamond League this year, Woo will now turn his
attention to the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. The final of the Hangzhou Games will be held on October 4.
Woo, who won a silver medal at the 2018 Jakarta Palembang Games, will face the world’s strongest man
in Barsim. If Woo wins gold, 스포츠토토링크 it will be the first time in 21 years since Lee Jin-taek
(Bangkok 1998 and Busan 2002).