"Gold Medal Would Have Been Better... No Regrets" Valuable Silver Medalist Woo Sang-hyeok Returns Home

Nam Sang-hyeok, who won South Korea's first-ever silver medal in the men's high jump at the World Championships, is showing his medal before an interview as he returns home through Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 on the afternoon of the 21st.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] Woo Sang-hyeok (26, Armed Forces Athletic Corps), who won Korea's first-ever silver medal in athletics at the World Championships, returned to Incheon International Airport on the 21st carrying his precious silver medal.

In an interview upon his return, Woo Sang-hyeok smiled and said, "It would have been better if it were a gold medal," adding, "But the silver medal is also a historic record for Korean athletics. Honestly, my physical condition was not at its best. Even so, I faced strong competition and cleared 2.35m, so I am satisfied. I have no regrets."

On the 19th, Woo Sang-hyeok cleared 2.35m to finish second in the men's high jump final at the 2022 World Athletics Championships held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, USA.

The airport was crowded with many people. Among fans shouting "Woo Sang-hyeok," his mother Song Min-seon embraced him while handing him a bouquet of flowers.

Woo Sang-hyeok expressed gratitude, saying, "(Since I am in the military) I don't get to see them often, but my family always supports me. I am thankful." He also said, "I received a lot of support from fans. It really gave me great strength."

Standing 188 cm tall, Woo Sang-hyeok is known to have maintained his 'optimal weight' of 65?66 kg through strict diet management while competing.

Woo Sang-hyeok said, "I have completed a big task. The pressure has lessened." He added, "Now, I plan to participate in three Diamond League events. If I compete lightly, I might even achieve better results."

After a short break, Woo Sang-hyeok will jump again toward the world’s top. He is scheduled to compete in the Diamond League events in Monaco on August 10 and in Lausanne, Switzerland on August 26. He will also participate in the two-day 2022 Diamond League Final Series held in Zurich, Switzerland on September 7 and 8.

Woo Sang-hyeok said, "I plan to compete in the Nanjing World Indoor Athletics Championships in March next year and the Budapest World Championships in August, aiming to achieve the 'same-year indoor and outdoor world championship wins' that I missed this year. Of course, my goal at the 2024 Paris Olympics is the gold medal." He added, "The 2025 World Championships will be held in Tokyo. I was disappointed with my 4th place finish at last year's Tokyo Olympics, but I will aim for a good result at the Tokyo World Championships held at the same venue."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.