As ‘America’s Best’ Jubon Harrison (24) leaped to become the world’s top jumper, ‘Smile Jumper’ Woo Sang-hyeok (27, Yongin City Hall) has one more opponent to check.
Woo Sang-hyuk already said, “There are quite a few players who call for a competitive spirit besides Mutaz Esa Barsim (Qatar) and Jean-Marco Tamberry (Italy). Harrison is one of them.”
In the first match of the year, Woo Sang-hyeok confirmed Harrison’s growth.
Woo Sang-hyeok finished second with 2m27 in the men’s high jump final of the 2023 World Association of Athletics Federations Diamond League opening series Doha held at Bin Hamad Stadium in Suheim, Doha, Qatar on the 6th (Korean time).
He overcame Barsim (2m24, 3rd place), the ‘best jumper in active life’, but failed to achieve the ‘2nd consecutive victory in the Doha Diamond League’, being pushed by Harrison, who was over 2m32.
On May 14 last year, Woo Sang-hyeok won the Doha Diamond League over 2m33, beating Barsim of 2m30. At the time, Harrison was only 5th with 2m20.
The men’s high jump in the 2022 season was a ‘two-way battle’ composition between Barsim and Woo Sang-hyuk.
Looking back at the men’s high jump in 2022, the World Association of Athletics Federations commented, “Woo Sang-hyeok and Barsim were the male high jump stars in 2022. Woo Sang-hyeok stood out in the indoor game, and Barsim showed off his strongest power in the outdoor game.”
Woo Sang-hyeok won the 2022 World Indoor Athletics Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia on March 20 last year over 2m34. At the time, Barsim was absent from the World Indoor Championships.
In the opening series of the Diamond League held in Doha on May 14, Woo Sang-hyeok surpassed 2m33 and beat Barsim of 2m30 to reach the top.
On July 19, at the Eugene Outdoor World Championships in the U.S., Barshim surpassed 2m37, beating Woo Sang-hyeok of 2m35, and achieved his third consecutive victory.
Harrison finished ninth at the Eugene World Championships with a distance of 2m27.
However, Harrison advanced to the Diamond League Final Series in 2022 and overcame 2m34 in a game held in Zurich, Switzerland on September 8, ranking second after Tambury. Tambury also exceeded 2m34, but Harrison had a lot of failures, so the 1st and 2nd places were divided.
Woo Sang-hyeok, who did not often participate in the individual Diamond League, could not participate in the final series, which requires a lot of ranking points.
Harrison, who finished the last competition of the 2022 season in a good mood, is gaining strength at the beginning of the 2023 season.
On April 2nd, at the national competition held in Austin, Texas, USA, he surpassed 2m33 and tied with Joel Baden (Australia) for first place in the world ranking based on record.
Here, in the opening series of the Diamond League, he defeated Woo Sang-hyeok and Barsim to win the championship.
After Woo Sang-hyeok confirmed Harrison’s victory, he approached him and congratulated him with a light hug.
Harrison is a high jump and long jump athlete.
Harrison, who holds personal best records of 2m36 high jump and 8m47 long jump, was recorded as “the world’s first player to jump over 2m30 high jump and over 8m40 long jump”.
At the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, he placed 5th in the long jump (8m15) and 7th in the high jump (2m33).
Since last year, Harrison has been showing a higher level of international competitiveness in the high jump.
Coach Do-kyun Kim, whom Woo Sang-hyeok calls a benefactor, said, “I thought, ‘I’ll have to watch a little more’ until Harrison finished second in the Zurich Diamond League Final Series last year, but this year it has definitely improved. The ups and downs have decreased.” He is a player to watch.”
In the 2023 season, as Harrison established himself as a ‘player over 2m30 or more’, Woo Sang-hyuk’s heart, who ‘enjoys competition’, also became hotter.
The event Woo Sang-hyeok and Harrison consider the most important this year is the World Championships in Budapest.
The 2023 World Championship men’s high jump preliminary round will be held on August 20 this year at 5:35 pm Korea time, and the final will be held on the 23rd at 2:55 am.
In Budapest, Woo Sang-hyeok and Harrison are expected to compete for the championship with Barsim.
In addition, in order to win the gold medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024, which Woo Sang-hyeok set as his ‘life goal’, he must defeat Harrison.
Defeating Barsim and giving Harrison the first place motivate Woo Sang-hyeok.
Woo Sang-hyuk praised Barsim, saying, “The more matches Barsim plays, the stronger he will become. There is no way Barsim will compete in the World Championships in Budapest in August and the Asian Games in Hangzhou in September in the same physical condition as today.”
“Harrison was sluggish at the beginning of the season last year, but showed good records in the second half. Harrison is a young player. Like many events, experience in the high jump is important. Since then, while participating in many competitions, he won medals at the 2022 World Indoor Championships (1st place with 2m34) and the Outdoor World Championships (2nd place with 2m35).” Of course, at the Paris Olympics in 2024, I want to beat Harrison. I have to win 먹튀검증.”