Monaco, July 12, 2025 – "Smile Jumper" Woo Sang-hyeok (29, Yongin City Hall) once again elevated the status of Korean high jump by dominating the men's high jump at the 2025 World Athletics Monaco Diamond League. Woo claimed victory at the Stade Louis II stadium today, clearing 2.34m, setting a new personal best for the season and a joint world-leading mark.
Dominant Performance and Brilliant Record Breaking
Woo Sang-hyeok displayed a consistently calm and confident demeanor throughout the competition. He started smoothly, easily clearing 2.15m, 2.19m, and 2.23m all on his first attempts. He briefly faltered at 2.27m, succeeding on his second attempt, but quickly regained his composure, clearing 2.30m on his first attempt and maintaining his momentum.
The highlight of the competition was the attempt at 2.34m. Woo boldly passed 2.32m and immediately challenged 2.34m, roaring with success on his first attempt. Jan Stefela (Czech Republic), his last competitor, failed to clear 2.34m and raised the bar to 2.36m but failed twice in a row, confirming Woo's victory.
After securing the win, Woo attempted to tie his Korean record of 2.36m but unfortunately failed on his first attempt. He then made two attempts at the new Korean record of 2.37m but narrowly brushed the bar, having to postpone it for another time. However, the 2.34m he cleared this time is his personal best for the year and the world-leading mark for outdoor competitions. Earlier, Oleh Doroshchuk (Ukraine) had cleared 2.34m in an indoor competition.
Brilliant Victory Over World-Class Competitors
The competition featured a strong field of world-class high jumpers, including Paris Olympic champion Hamish Kerr (New Zealand) and Paris Olympic silver medalist Shelby McEwen (USA). However, Woo Sang-hyeok surpassed them all, demonstrating his prowess once again to claim the top spot. Kerr finished 6th with 2.23m, and McEwen 8th with 2.19m, both overshadowed by Woo's momentum.
This is not Woo Sang-hyeok's first Diamond League victory. Since his first win in Doha, Qatar, in 2022, he has secured his fifth career victory, following wins in Eugene, Oregon, USA in 2023, Rome in 2024, and Rome earlier this year. Notably, having won the Diamond League once each year, he has already recorded his second victory this year, proving he is having his best season yet.
Continuous Challenges and Diamond League Final Qualification Prospects
With this victory, Woo Sang-hyeok has also secured his qualification for the Tokyo World Championships. Furthermore, he has extended his undefeated streak for the season. He won three indoor competitions: the Czech Indoor competition (2.31m) and the Slovak Indoor competition (2.28m) in February, and the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China (2.31m) in March. Subsequently, he has maintained his winning streak in the outdoor season, including the What Gravity Challenge (2.29m) in May, the Gumi Asian Championships (2.29m) in May, the Rome Diamond League (2.32m) in June, and now the Monaco competition.
After the competition, Woo Sang-hyeok expressed his delight through the Korea Athletics Federation, stating, "I am happy to win the Monaco Diamond League after a year, with a world-leading mark for the season." He added, "It's a shame about the Korean record attempt, but I will continue to challenge myself," conveying his gratitude to the many who supported him.
With this win, Woo Sang-hyeok earned 16 points, climbing to 3rd place in the Diamond League point standings. In the men's high jump Diamond League, points are awarded to the top 8 finishers in each competition, and only the top 6 athletes who accumulate these points qualify for the final round. As Woo Sang-hyeok's chances of reaching the final have significantly increased, his next moves are keenly anticipated.
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