The 'high jump king' Woo Sang-hyeok (29, Yongin City Hall) won the high jump competition 'What Gravity Challenge', featuring several top-tier athletes from around the world.
Woo Sang-hyeok won the competition held on the 10th (local time) at the Katara Amphitheater in Doha, Qatar, by clearing a height of 2.29 meters.
What Gravity Challenge is an athletics high jump competition hosted by current athlete Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qatar), who is referred to as a 'living legend.'
In last year's inaugural event, Woo Sang-hyeok placed second after clearing 2.31 meters, the same height as Barshim but missing the time requirement.
Barshim's name was included in the list of participants for the second event, but he did not compete and instead took on the role of an 'operational staff.'
Although Barshim was absent, the competition featured 11 world-class jumpers competing for victory, including Hamish Kerr (Netherlands), the 2024 Paris Olympic champion, and second-place Shelby McEwen (United States), as well as 2023 Budapest World Championships second-place YuBong Harrison (United States) and fifth-place Akamatsu Ryoichi (Japan).
Woo Sang-hyeok successfully cleared all heights of 2.15, 2.20, 2.23, and 2.26 meters on his first attempt. He was the only athlete who did not fail at all until the height of 2.26.
As title contender Kerr failed to clear 2.23 meters, and Harrison also got stuck at the 2.23-meter mark, Woo Sang-hyeok’s chances of victory increased.
Three athletes cleared 2.26 meters: Woo Sang-hyeok, Akamatsu, and RAY Richards (Jamaica).
Woo Sang-hyeok touched the bar at 2.29 meters in the first and second attempts. However, in the third attempt, he effortlessly cleared 2.29.
With second-place Akamatsu and third-place Richards failing to clear 2.29 meters in all three attempts, Woo Sang-hyeok's victory was confirmed.
Woo Sang-hyeok raised the bar to 2.33 meters and continued to challenge, supported by women's champion Yarislava Mahuchikh (Ukraine), Barshim, and others, but unfortunately did not clear this height.