High jumper Woo Sang-hyeok wins silver at Worlds

Woo Sang-hyeok rewrote Korean track and field history by winning a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, clearing 2.38 meters.

Korea’s Woo Sang-hyeok leaps during the men’s high jump final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sept. 16. [AP/YONHAP]

Woo Sang-hyeok rewrote Korean track and field history by winning a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

In the men’s high jump final held at Japan National Stadium on Tuesday, the 29-year-old cleared 2.34 meters (7.68 feet) to secure the silver medal. He attempted 2.38 meters but was unable to clear the bar, concluding his competition.

The gold medal went to Hamish Kerr of New Zealand, the 2024 Paris Olympic champion, who cleared 2.36 meters on his first attempt.

With this silver, Woo became the first Korean track and field athlete to win more than one medal at the World Championships. He previously cleared 2.35 meters to earn silver at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.

The first Korean to ever medal at the World Athletics Championships in track and field was Kim Hyun-sub, who won bronze in the men’s 20-kilometer (12.4-mile) race walk at the 2011 Daegu event. Woo is now the second Korean to win a medal and the only one to do so twice.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY BAE JAE-SUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]