High jumper Woo Sang-hyeok wins 2nd career world indoor title

SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean high jumper Woo Sang-hyeok captured his second career world indoor title in China on Friday.

Woo cleared 2.31 meters to win the men's high jump gold medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, equaling his season best.

Hamish Kerr, the reigning Olympic champion from New Zealand and the defending world indoor champ, finished second with 2.28m. Raymond Richards of Jamaica won the bronze at 2.28m, which he cleared in two attempts to Kerr's one.

After jumping over 2.14m and then 2.20m in one attempt each, Woo needed two tries to go over 2.24m.

When the bar was raised to 2.28, only six jumpers out of 13 finalists remained. Only Woo and Kerr cleared that height in their first jump.

And Woo was the only one to go over 2.31m, and did so in one attempt.

Woo clinched the gold medal after his rivals all failed to match his mark, and elected to push himself further.

Woo claimed his first world indoor gold in 2022 in Belgrade and finished third at last year's competition.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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