Hamish Kerr (New Zealand) won his final competition before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, threatening the “big four” of Woo Sang-hyuk (28, Yongin City Hall).
Kerr cleared 2.30 meters to win the men’s high jump at the World Athletics 2024 London Diamond League at the London Stadium in London, England, on Tuesday.
On the day, Kerr cleared 2.18 meters, 2.22 meters, 2.26 meters and 2.30 meters in the first round.
After second-place finisher Jervon Harrison (USA) failed to clear 2.26 meters, Kerr didn’t waste any time in closing out the competition.
Kerr won all four of her jumps without a single failure to take the top spot.
While the “big four” in the men’s high jump are either scaling back their performances or suffering from slumps in preparation for Paris 2024, Kerr is on a steep upward curve.
The current World Athletics men’s high jump “big four” according to experts are Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qatar), Jean-Marco Tamburri (Italy), Jervon Harrison (USA), and Sang-Hyeok Woo (Yongin City Hall).
However, Kerr’s consistent performances this year have expanded the medal race to a “big five” ahead of Paris.
The 198-centimeter tall jumper has consistently competed in major competitions, but hasn’t had a standout result other than a bronze medal at the 2022 World Indoor Championships.
The 2024 season was different.
After winning the 2024 World Indoor Championships in March with a personal best and Oceania record of 2.36 meters, Kerr followed that up with victories in Suzhou (2.31 meters), Monaco (2.33 meters) and the London Diamond League (2.30 meters) in April.
He is also second on the men’s high jump list this year with 2.36 meters, behind Tamberley’s 2.37 meters.
Unlike other competitors who have adjusted their ‘number of competitions’ ahead of Paris, Kerr has competed 11 times in the 2024 season.
Woo Sang-hyuk, who competed nine times this year, also had a high number of starts, but Kerr had two more.
Barshim, who trained at the London Stadium on the 19th in preparation for the London Diamond League, was withdrawn on match day. Barshim will compete in Paris after four trials.
Tamberley has two and Harrison has six.
Woo’s personal best is 2.36 meters, and his best this year is 2.33 meters.
Woo arrived in France on Wednesday after the Monaco Diamond League (tied for third at 2.28m) and has been training at the Team Korea Paris Platform, a pre-camp organized by the Korean Sports Federation at the French National Defense Sports Center (CNSD) in Fontainebleau.
From a distance of an hour’s time difference, Woo watched Kerr at the peak of his game.
Woo’s goal in life is to win gold in Paris.
Although the number of competitors has increased, and he hasn’t achieved the record he had hoped for before the Games, Woo is motivated, saying, “The most important event is the final in Paris.”
The men’s high jump final at the Paris Olympics will begin at 2:10 a.m. KST on Aug. 11, where Woo will try to win a medal. 토토사이트 순위