Asian Games 2023 athletics: Mutaz Barshim regains Asian Games high jump title, beating Woo Sanghyeok

The Qatari equals his 2014 Asian Games record to win his third Games gold after 2010 and 2014, seeing off Republic of Korea's Woo in a narrow contest.

4 minBy ZK Goh
Mutaz Essa Barshim - celebrating at Asian Games 2023

(REUTERS/Dylan Martinez)

As expected, Diamond League Final winner Woo Sanghyeok and Olympic champion Mutaz Essa Barshim were the two athletics protagonists of the men's high jump final at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou on Wednesday (4 October) in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.

Both the Republic of Korea jumper Woo and Qatari Barshim received loud cheers as they were introduced, with the crowd understanding they were about to watch two of the world's greatest high jumpers in action.

Roared on by the crowd on each jump, Woo and Barshim were the last two left standing after bronze medallist Shinno Tomohiro of Japan missed all three of his attempts at 2.31.

Eventually it was Barshim who outlasted Woo, although the contest was close all the way.

Woo had begun the competition at 2.15m, the height he cleared in qualification, while Barshim started at 2.19m, and the pair each made no faults through 2.33m, Woo growing in confidence and showmanship with each jump while Barshim showed his usual coolness.

The South Korean was the first to blink, bringing the bar down on his first try at 2.35m, which would have equalled his own national record and personal best, as well as Barshim's Asian Games record from 2014. Barshim, meanwhile, easily went over with room to spare, drawing yet more roars from the crowd. In a surprising move, Woo opted to skip his remaining attempts at the height, moving the bar to 2.37m.

Again a new record eluded Woo, as he clipped the bar again at his first try at that height. His Qatari opponent, too, suffered the same fate on his first try. However, Barshim knew that if Woo was to miss at 2.37 again, he would be champion.

By now, every other event for the evening had concluded, leaving the stage to two of the biggest Asian athletics stars to duke it out.

That was exactly what happened, as the South Korean took the bar down before going over to Barshim with a smile and a handshake. Now, all eyes were on Barshim's second attempt at 2.37 for a new Asian Games record. His Qatari teammates, who had just run the men's 4x400m relay, joined the crowd in clapping him on.

Even that was not enough, as Barshim took the bar down. As he reset for the final attempt, the crowd once more got behind him, as did his fellow competitors including Woo.

He appeared to have cleared it, but the bar had other ideas as it fell after Barshim had landed on the mat. Even the judge in charge of raising the flags had raised the white flag before changing it to red to mark the failure. The crowd let out an exasperated groan, but Barshim looked happy enough at having equalled his Games record and regained the title, after missing the 2018 Asian Games due to injury.

"In 2018 I was really badly injured. Out of the surgery room, the doctor said, 'You cannot fly.' I was in Germany, it's risky. I said, 'I don't care.' As soon as I got out from the surgery room, I hopped on a flight and came all the way to Indonesia, supporting my team," Barshim recalled afterwards.

"When I was young, in 2006, the previous Asian Games (in Doha, Qatar) before I competed, I was a volunteer holding the basket for the high jumpers. I really wanted to win that. So winning today my third gold after a bad injury, I should be really happy and satisfied."

Woo, for his part, was happy with how he performed, and paid tribute to his Qatari rival. "It was a very meaningful competition.

"It was due to competing with (Barshim) that I was able to get a silver medal today. Competing with him made me really happy, I really enjoyed it."

It was a fitting end to the athletics competition at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre, with only the marathons remaining on Thursday morning.

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