▲ Woo Sang-hyeok
South Korea's high-jumping star and "smile jumper" Woo Sang-hyeok (Yongin City Hall) failed to smile in his return match.
Competing in the men's high jump at the 2026 World Athletics Silesia Diamond League held at a special arena in the central square of Katowice, Poland, on August 22, Woo failed to clear his opening height of 2.16 meters and finished the competition without an official record.
The height of 2.16 meters falls far short of his personal best of 2.36 meters set in 2022, as well as being significantly lower than his season-best mark of 2.30 meters.
Having delivered a disappointing result in his comeback match, Woo now faces the urgent task of rapidly regaining his form ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games opening next month.
Woo had enjoyed a smooth start earlier this year.
At his first event of the season in February, the Hustopece Indoor High Jump meeting (World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver), he cleared 2.25 meters to finish fourth, and subsequently earned a bronze medal by clearing 2.30 meters at the Banskobystricka latka indoor high jump meeting.
In the men's high jump final at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships held in March, he successfully cleared 2.26 meters to tie for third place.
However, his schedule was subsequently disrupted.
Due to the fallout from the Iran conflict, his scheduled outdoor season openers—the What Gravity Challenge and the Doha Diamond League—were either canceled or postponed, causing difficulties in his conditioning.
Although he won the 80th National Athletics Championships in May with a jump of 2.27 meters—which also served as the trials for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games—his streak of bad luck continued.
Right after the trials, during the Seiko Golden Grand Prix held in Japan, his left spike tore, resulting in abrasions.
Following this, Woo focused on recovering his physical condition and mental focus for about three months.
He returned through this event to check his competitive edge and physical condition ahead of the Asian Games, but left a sense of regret by failing to clear 2.16 meters on his first attempt.
Woo plans to re-evaluate his physical condition by competing in an international high jump meeting in Heilbronn, Germany, next week.
Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy claimed the title by clearing 2.31 meters.
The event drew attention as veteran Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qatar), a long-time rival of Woo, also participated.
Barshim cleared 2.23 meters but failed at 2.26 meters, finishing in seventh place.
Barshim, who defeated Woo to win the gold medal at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, is likely to compete in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games as well.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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