KOR
▲ Woo Sang-hyeok
South Korea's high jump star Woo Sang-hyeok (Yongin City Hall) has failed to produce satisfactory results in his second competition since his return.
Competing in the men's event at the Heilbronn International High Jump meeting held at a special venue in front of the Heilbronn City Hall in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, on the 30th (Korean time), Woo finished last among 12 participating athletes with a mark of 2.14 meters.
He cleared his opening height of 2.10 meters on his first attempt, but barely managed to clear 2.14 meters on his third attempt.
He subsequently failed all three attempts at 2.18 meters.
In his first attempt, his hips hit the bar and he failed, and on his second attempt, his thighs caught it.
Failing even his final third attempt, Woo stepped off the mat with a bright expression, sending applause to the audience without wincing.
Following his previous outing on the 22nd at the 2026 World Athletics Silesia Diamond League men's high jump in Katowice, Poland—where he failed to clear his opening height of 2.16 meters and finished without an official record—Woo once again fell well short of his personal best (2.36 meters) and his season-best (2.30 meters), leaving lingering disappointment.
Dark clouds have also gathered over his medal prospects for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which will be held next month.
During the Seiko Golden Grand Prix held in Japan last May, Woo suffered abrasions when his left spike tore. He subsequently refrained from competing in actual events for about three months, focusing instead on recovering his physical condition and mental state.
Meanwhile, Tomohiro Shinno of Japan won the competition by clearing both 2.22 meters and 2.25 meters on his first attempts.
Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qatar), who won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics, finished third after clearing 2.25 meters.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
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