High Jumper Woo Sang-hyeok Fails to Clear '2.31m' Wall... Finishes 7th [Paris Olympics]

2m31, All Three Attempts Failed

'Smile Jumper' Woo Sang-hyeok (28, Yongin City Hall), who challenged a new history in Korean athletics, failed to clear the 2.31m barrier in the men's high jump at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

On the 10th (local time), Woo Sang-hyeok, who participated in the men's high jump final at the 2024 Paris Olympics held at Stade de France in Paris, France, is clearing 2.17m.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 11th (Korean time), Woo Sang-hyeok finished with a mark of 2.27m in the men's high jump final held at Stade de France in Paris, France. With six athletes clearing 2.31m, Woo's chance of winning a medal was ruled out early.

Earlier, on the 7th, Woo advanced to the final by finishing joint 2nd in Group A with a 2.27m jump and joint 3rd overall in the men's high jump qualifying round, raising expectations for a medal.

On the day, Woo showed a somewhat slower pace compared to the qualifiers. He easily cleared 2.17m and 2.22m, failed on his first attempt at 2.27m, but succeeded on his second attempt. After clearing on the second try, he expressed confidence with his signature chest tap celebration.

However, he failed all three attempts at 2.31m. This contrasted with Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qatar) and Shelby McEwen (USA), who cleared it on their first attempts. Following them, Ryoichi Akamatsu (Japan) and Stefano Sottile (Italy) also cleared 2.31m.

On the 10th (local time), Woo Sang-hyeok of Korea, who competed in the men's high jump final at the 2024 Paris Olympics held at Stade de France in Paris, France, is showing regret after failing all attempts at 2.31 meters.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

As Woo Sang-hyeok holds a personal best of 2.36m, the result was especially disappointing. The Paris Games marked Woo's third Olympics, and his second consecutive appearance following Tokyo. He failed to reach the final in his first Olympics at the 2016 Rio Games.

Woo, who stood out at the Tokyo Olympics, has set multiple Korean athletics records as the flagship high jumper, including winning the 2022 World Indoor Championships (2.34m), finishing second at the outdoor World Championships (2.35m), and winning the 2023 Diamond League Final (2.35m).

Following his strong performance at the Hangzhou Asian Games, Woo aimed for a medal at this Olympics as well, but after finishing 4th at the 2021 Tokyo Games, he again missed the podium, concluding the competition with some regret.

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