Woo Sang-hyeok becomes first Korean to win Diamond League Final [REWIND 2023]

High jumper Woo Sang-hyeok became the first Korean in any discipline to win a Diamond League Final title in September, claiming one of athletics' most prestigious awards. Woo cleared 2.35 meters, on par with the standing Korean record, to win gold.

Korea's Woo Sang-hyeok competes in the men's high jump final during the Diamond League Final at Stadion Letzigrund stadium in Zurich on Aug. 31. [AFP/YONHAP]

High jumper Woo Sang-hyeok became the first Korean in any discipline to win a Diamond League Final title in September, claiming one of the most prestigious athletic awards available.

At the Diamond League Final — the culmination of the top tier of World Athletics competition — Woo cleared 2.35 meters to secure gold.

That record of 2.35 meters was on par with his own personal best and the standing Korean record.

Even before Woo made that record and won the title, he was already the best high jumper in Korean history as he was the first Korean athlete ever to reach the Diamonds Final, where only the top six athletes in each discipline are invited to compete.

Woo followed that Diamond League win with a silver medal at the Asian Games, where he fell short of 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Mutaz Barshim of Qatar in the final. Although he lost out at the Asian Games, he did win the Asian Championship earlier in the year in July, taking gold in a pared-back field.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]