High jumper Woo Sang-hyeok wins silver at World Championships

“I will be satisfied with today’s achievements only for today and will work hard again starting tomorrow,” said high jumper Woo Sang-hyeok, 29, after winning the silver medal at the 2025 World Athletics Championships at Tokyo’s National Stadium on Sept. 16, the Korea Athletics Federation reported.

Woo finished second in the men’s high jump final, clearing 2.34 meters behind Hamish Kerr, 29, of New Zealand, who cleared 2.36 meters. Kerr was the 2024 Paris Olympic champion.

Although Woo narrowly missed becoming the first Korean to win a world championship gold medal, he became the first Korean athlete to win two World Championship medals. He previously won silver at the 2022 championships in Eugene, Oregon, with a jump of 2.35 meters. “I did my best to win the gold medal. Given my injury, there are some regrets,” Woo said. Having suffered a calf injury last month, Woo withdrew from the Diamond League Final to focus on recovery ahead of the World Championships.

President Lee Jae-myung congratulated Woo on Facebook, saying, “I extend my warm congratulations to Woo Sang-hyeok, who is writing a new chapter in Korean athletics history. Despite physical limitations from the aftereffects of a childhood traffic accident, Woo has overcome challenges with indomitable will. Woo’s achievements inspire courage and hope not only in Korea but around the

world.” Woo has uneven feet due to the accident, with his left foot measuring 275 mm and his right foot 265 mm, a difference of 1 centimeter.

Woo earned nearly 100 million won in bonuses, including prize money from the World Championships. He will receive $35,000 (approximately 48 million won) for finishing second in the individual event, and the Korea Athletics Federation will provide a 50 million won reward.

This year, Woo competed in eight international competitions, winning seven and finishing second in one. His publicly disclosed earnings exceed 240 million won. At the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing in March, he won the event and received $40,000 (approximately 55 million won) along with a 50 million won reward from the federation. For winning the Asian Championships in Gumi in May, the federation awarded him 15 million won. At the Diamond League in June and July, he won twice and earned a total of $20,000 (approximately 27 million won) from the organizing committees.


Bo-Mi Im bom@donga.com