GLASGOW, Scotland — South Korean high jumper Woo Sang-hyeok clinched the bronze medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships held at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, on Sunday, marking a step back from his previous world title.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Woo, who was defending his title, achieved a jump of 2.28 meters, landing him in third place. New Zealand's Hamish Kerr emerged victorious with a gold medal leap of 2.36 meters, while Shelby McEwen of the United States secured the silver, also clearing 2.28 meters but edging out Woo on a tiebreaker due to fewer attempts at a lower height.
Woo's attempt to join the ranks of Javier Sotomayor and Stefan Holm as the only male high jumpers to win consecutive world indoor titles fell short. He had previously won the gold medal in 2022 in Serbia with a jump of 2.34 meters. Entering the competition, Woo was tied with McEwen for the season-best record of 2.33 meters and was considered a strong contender for the title, especially in the absence of high jumping legends Mutaz Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi.
However, Woo struggled to replicate his season's best performance in Glasgow and faced elimination threats early in the final. He cleared the initial height of 2.20 meters in one attempt but required all three tries to surpass 2.24 meters. Eventually, he managed to clear 2.28 meters on his second attempt, matching McEwen's performance.
As the competition narrowed down to the final three, Kerr took the lead with a season-best jump of 2.28 meters on his first attempt. Both Woo and McEwen failed to clear 2.31 meters, with Woo being the first to exit after three unsuccessful attempts at this height.
Kerr sealed his victory with a jump of 2.36 meters, demonstrating his superiority in the field. Woo, aged 27, is now setting his sights on the upcoming Paris Olympics, aiming for his first career Olympic medal after a strong performance in recent years that includes the 2022 world indoor title, a silver medal at the 2022 world outdoor championships, a gold medal at the 2023 Diamond League Final, and a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Games.