Woo Sang-hyeok Set for High-Profile Triple Showdown in European High Jump Circuit

Woo Sang-hyeok (Yongin City Hall), currently enjoying an impressive streak of six consecutive international victories this season, has embarked on an extensive European tour. On August 6, Woo traveled to Germany, where he will spend over three weeks competing in three major events: the Heilbronn International High Jump Competition, the Diamond League in Silesia, Poland, and finally, the Zurich Diamond League Final in Switzerland.

This year, Woo has maintained a perfect record across seven competitions: three indoor events in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in February, the World Indoor Championships in China in March, the WATT Gravity Challenge and Asian Championships in Gumi in May, and the Diamond League meets in Rome and Monaco in June and July, respectively.

At the Monaco Diamond League, Woo soared over the bar at 2.34 meters, meeting the entry standard for the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo. Upholding his unbeaten status on the international stage this season, Woo currently shares the season’s highest record of 2.34 meters with Oleksiy Doroshchuk of Ukraine, as the World Athletics Federation continues to restrict participation by Russian and Belarusian athletes.

The highly anticipated Heilbronn meet on the night of August 10 will feature 13 world-class high jumpers, including Hamish Kerr of New Zealand and Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar. This event is a new addition to Barshim’s WATT Gravity Challenge series; Woo previously claimed gold at the inaugural Challenge back in May.

Although Barshim has not competed in official events since the West Asian Games, his entry in Heilbronn sets the stage for an electrifying three-way battle with Woo and Kerr.

Looking ahead, Woo aims to claim his third Diamond League victory of the season at the Silesia meet on August 16, with eyes also set on qualifying for the prestigious Zurich Final on August 29, open only to the top six ranked jumpers. Despite only two Diamond League appearances this year, Woo currently sits third with 16 ranking points—an impressive feat since the men’s high jump is being contested just six times in the series this season.

Having won Diamond League gold in Doha (2022), Eugene (2023), and Rome (2024), Woo is once again eyeing the top of the podium at this year's final.

This European campaign serves as the final critical test ahead of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September. Woo, who recently stated in an interview upon returning to Korea that he would focus on improving his weaknesses, has since thrown himself into intensive training at the Jincheon National Training Center after a brief rest.

At the World Championships opening on September 13 in Tokyo, the men's high jump qualification round is set for September 14, with the final to follow on September 16. Woo has set this event as his ultimate goal for the season, emphasizing, “The most important event of the year is in Tokyo this September. Next year, I want to be called the world champion.”

All eyes are now on Woo Sang-hyeok as he wraps up his European campaign and heads for new heights at the Tokyo showdown.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Yonhap News, MHN DB