Woo Sanghyeok Claims Second World Indoor High Jump Title at Nanjing 25

Korea’s Woo Sanghyeok etched his name in the history books by claiming his second world indoor high jump title at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25, three years after his first triumph in Belgrade, securing only the third man to win multiple titles in the event.

With this victory, he joins an elite group, including world record-holder Javier Sotomayor and Sweden’s 2004 Olympic champion Stefan Holm, both of whom hold four titles

Standout Performance

The 28-year-old secured gold by clearing 2.31m on his first attempt, the only athlete to achieve that height. Defending champion and Olympic gold medallist Hamish Kerr took silver with 2.28m, edging Jamaica’s Raymond Richards on countback for the bronze.

Key Milestones of the Final

• 2.20m Barrier: Five of the 13 finalists, including European indoor silver medallist Jan Stefela and Jamaica’s 2023 NCAA champion Romaine Beckford, bowed out at 2.20m.
• 2.24m Barrier: Japan’s Naoto Hasegawa and Israel’s Jonathan Kapitolnik exited at 2.24m.
• 2.28m Barrier: Only world leader and European indoor champion Oleh Doroshchuk and Jamaica’s Richards had managed to clear 2.24m on their first attempts, giving them a slight advantage over Woo, Kerr, and USA’s Elijah Kosibah. Five others managed 2.28m, with Woo and Kerr clearing it on their first attempts, while Richards and Kosibah needed two tries each. Doroshchuk only managed to clear it on his third attempt, finishing outside the medals.

The Final Push

With just a slight brush of the bar, Woo got over 2.31m on his first try, achieving his season’s best and taking the sole lead. Kerr came close but was ultimately unsuccessful in getting over the bar, surrendering his title to the Korean. Kerr now has a full set of world indoor medals—gold from Glasgow, silver in Nanjing, and bronze from Belgrade.

Surprising Contenders

Richards, who had never competed at a major senior international championship, was the surprise package of the final, taking bronze on countback with 2.28m

Woo’s Reflection on Gold

“It was because of my experience at the Paris Olympics last year that I was able to win this gold medal. After the Olympics, it was a bit tough. But looking back, I think it was just a temporary phase. My coach and I decided that we’d prepare hard for the World Indoor Championships, so we worked together with that mindset. And now that I’ve been able to do well again, it’s truly a wonderful night for me.”

— Woo Sanghyeok, World Indoor High Jump Champion

Men’s High Jump Medallists