Woo Sang-hyeok aims for gold at Asian Championships

“I will show good and entertaining jumps at the Asian Athletics Championships,” said Woo Sang-hyeok. Known as the Smile Jumper, the 28-year-old athlete spoke at a press conference Monday at the Gumi Multipurpose Sports Center in North Gyeongsang Province ahead of the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships. The event runs Tuesday through Saturday with 1,193 athletes from 43 countries competing.

The championships are classified as GL-level competitions by World Athletics, offering more ranking points than the Asian Games, which are A-level.

Woo is the defending champion and hopes to claim the title on home soil again. He first won at the 2017 championships in Bhubaneswar, India, with a jump of 2.30 meters. He secured his second title in 2023 in Bangkok with a 2.28-meter leap. Woo's chances improved when main rival Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist, withdrew just before the event.

Although Woo placed seventh at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a 2.27-meter jump, he has been in peak condition this year. He has won four international competitions, including the World Athletics Indoor Championships with a jump of 2.31 meters.

In February, he took gold at the World Athletics Indoor Tour events in Hustopece, the Czech Republic, and Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, with jumps of 2.31 meters and 2.28 meters. In March, he won the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, clearing 2.31 meters. Most recently, in May, he claimed first place at the What Gravity Challenge with a jump of 2.29 meters.

“My goals this year are to win the World Athletics Indoor Championships, the Asian Athletics Championships, and the World Athletics Championships,” Woo said. “I have achieved the first and am preparing well for the second. My current form is good. I hope to finish this competition strong and continue working toward my next goal.”


조영우 기자 jero@donga.com