“I’ll beat my best time and sing the national anthem”
Three years ago, Woo Sang-hyuk (28, Yongin City Hall) became the ‘surprise star’ of the Tokyo Olympics. He became the first Korean athlete to reach the final of the high jump in field and track events, breaking the Korean record (2m35). He was in contention for a medal, but just missed out on the podium. Woo calls it “the fourth place of bad luck” but also “the fourth place of joy”. South Korean athletics has won two medals at the Olympics. Hwang Young-jo’s gold in Barcelona 1992 and Lee Bong-joo’s silver in Atlanta 1996 both came in the marathon, a road event. In Tokyo, Woo Sang-hyuk is the favourite to win his first Olympic medal in the field and track events.
Interest in the high jump itself has also increased significantly. Fans nicknamed him the “Smile Jumper” for his constant smile while competing. Woo spent three years preparing for Paris 2024 with high expectations. He had his ups and downs, and six months after Tokyo, he jumped 2.36 metres, a new personal best and Korean record. This year, the year of the Olympics, his progress has been slower than expected. Woo’s best in 2024 was 2m33, which was lower than the marks of Jean-Marco Tamberi (2.37m-Italy) and Hamish Kerr (2.36m-New Zealand), who will be competing for Olympic medals. However, he remained confident. He believes that everything he has done will pave the way for a medal in Paris.
South Korea’s Woo Sang-hyuk qualified for the final of the men’s high jump at the Paris Olympic Games with his ‘best jump’ of the year at the Stade de France on 7 July (local time). Woo conquered 2m15, 2m20 and 2m24 on the day. He was unable to clear the 2m27 bar in the first attempt, but did so with ease in the second round. Only five athletes cleared 2m27 on the day, including Woo.
Woo, who qualified for the final in third place, met the media in the mix zone with a “single bubble” smile on his face, and shouted “Nice!” when 메이저사이트 told that he had become the first South Korean athlete to become a double Olympic finalist in field and track events. “My physical condition has been up and down in preparation for the Olympics, but I thought it was all for this day,” Woo said, adding, “I’m so happy and overwhelmed to be able to show what I’ve been preparing for the past three years without regret.”
“It felt so good,” said Woo, who stepped onto the track for the first time that day, “and coach (Kim Do-gyun) said, ‘I think it will be good today. He said, ‘This is the perfect track for you,'” Woo said, adding, “He kept telling me not to doubt my preparation and to run without regrets and it will be fine.” Competing in a stadium that can hold up to 80,000 people was also a valuable experience. “It was an honour just to be able to compete in a stadium with nearly 100,000 spectators. It was a very proud day for me as a Korean athlete,” he said, adding, “I will be even prouder in the final.”
Woo shaved his hair down to a shaved head in preparation for the event. His hairstyle reflects his determination to jump even one centimetre higher. “Now that I think about it, I think I cut it well,” he said, smiling, “I think the day will come when my haircut will shine through.” After a few days of rest, Woo will attempt a ‘golden jump’ in the final at 2 a.m. KST on 11 November. “I had the best jump of the year, and I have to jump higher in the final,” Woo said, adding, “I came to Paris to beat my best time, and I want to stand on the top of the podium and make the national anthem go off.”