“I’m so happy that I was able to have fun high jumping with (Mutaz Essa) Barshim (Qatar).”
Despite not being able to surpass his rival, Woo was all smiles after the competition. He had fun competing with his “idol” as a child, his competitive spirit was recharged, and he had something to look forward to.
Woo Sang-hyuk cleared 2.33 meters to finish second in the men’s high jump final at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games on Thursday at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Main Stadium in Hangzhou, China.
The match was decided at 2m35. Barsim cleared the bar in the first attempt, while Woo failed to do so. Woo then tried to raise the bar to 2.37 meters, but unfortunately failed to clear both times. This left Woo facing a silver medal for the second time in a row, following the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.
After the competition, Woo said, “When I came to Hangzhou, I focused on clearing 2.33m in the first round, and then I thought about clearing 2.35m and then 2.37m, which is my best,” adding, “Unfortunately, the Paris Olympics is next year. I’ll have to prepare well. 2m37 is a mountain to climb. I hope I can do it, but I’m definitely going to try to do it before the Paris Olympics.”
Barshim, who won the gold medal over Woo, is the highest active jumper in the world with a world record of 2.43 meters. For Woo, the ‘challenger’, he was a good friend, competitor, and idol.
“I feel like I’m having a good-natured competition with Varsim, so it’s very interesting and fun. I’m so happy to be able to do high jump for fun,” he said, adding, “I came (to Hangzhou) to compete with Varshim. I came (to Hangzhou) to compete with Varshim, to do what I do without regrets. It’s a glorious moment in a way. When I was 토토사이트 younger, I thought, ‘I wonder if I’ll ever be in a position to play with him,’ and now I’m honored to be able to compete at the same height every time I play,” he laughed.
Woo continued, “Playing against Barshim is so much fun, and he’s a player who can ignite my competitive spirit. “There are less than 300 days until the Paris Olympics, and since I’m the ‘dark horse,’ I’m going to get ready again and make Varsim and the rest of the athletes scared,” he said.