Woo Sang-hyuk makes last run in Germany before World Athletics Championships 2m28

South Korean high jumper Woo Sang-hyuk at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

South Korean high jumper Woo Sang-hyuk (27, Yongin City Hall), who will become the first South Korean athlete to reach the top of the world championships, finished his final test in good spirits.

Woo cleared 2.28 meters to finish second at the Heilbronn International High Jump Competition in Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on Saturday (local time).

Woo cleared the same height of 2.28 meters as New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr, but a missed attempt cost him the title.

Competing in torrential rain, Woo attempted his first jump at 2m20 and succeeded in the first period. He followed it up with a 2m25 in the second period.

At 2m28, he touched the bar in both the first and second attempts, but succeeded in the third attempt. However, at 2m30, he failed.

Kerr did 2m10 through 2m15, 2m20, and 2m25, all in the first period. He made it to the second period at 2m28, but not 2m30. However, he had fewer failures than Woo Sang-hyuk and came out on top.

Woo competed in the tournament to prepare for the World Championships in Budapest, which begin on April 19. Woo hopes to use this meet to improve his performance and condition before traveling to Budapest.

Woo finished runner-up at last year’s World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA, clearing 2.35 meters. At the time, Woo struggled with his conditioning, including the long flight to the United States.

With a year of experience under his belt, Woo is determined to do better this time around.

“I’m going to look for the gold medal I didn’t win last year,” he told reporters in Korea on the 2nd, “and I didn’t think about anything else but the gold medal at the World Championships. 한국야동 I think I have prepared well, not only in terms of exercise but also in terms of weight management,” he said, expressing confidence.