South Korean high jumper Uhsang-hyuk is set to compete for his first gold medal at the Asian Games. After winning silver medals in consecutive tournaments, he will face off against Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim, the gold medalist from the Hangzhou Games. With recent international performances falling short, all eyes are on whether Uhsang-hyuk can surpass Barshim and claim the top spot.
Uhsang-hyuk will participate in the men's high jump final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, scheduled for 7:45 PM on the 27th at the Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya, Japan.
The men's high jump preliminaries were originally set for the 24th but were canceled due to a reduced number of participants. As a result, Uhsang-hyuk will advance directly to the final without a preliminary round.
This marks Uhsang-hyuk's fourth appearance at the Asian Games. He finished 10th at the 2014 Incheon Games and won silver medals at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang and 2022 Hangzhou Games. Despite standing on the podium twice, he has yet to secure an Asian Games gold medal.
In the final, Uhsang-hyuk will compete against Barshim and India's Sarvesh Anil Kushareda.
Barshim, a co-gold medalist in men's high jump at the Tokyo Olympics and a world champion, is considered a strong contender for victory. Uhsang-hyuk and Barshim previously competed for the gold at the Hangzhou Games, where Uhsang-hyuk cleared 2.33 meters but finished with a silver as Barshim cleared 2.35 meters. Kushareda placed fourth with a jump of 2.26 meters.
Uhsang-hyuk's recent performance is a variable to consider. He experienced a spike tear during the Seiko Golden Grand Prix in May and has struggled to achieve notable results in subsequent international competitions.
Last month at the Silesia Diamond League, he failed to clear his opening height of 2.16 meters, finishing without a mark, and later recorded 2.14 meters at the Heilbronn International Meet. His personal best is 2.36 meters, and he has cleared 2.30 meters this season.
While the cancellation of the preliminaries alleviates some physical strain, the lack of a competitive warm-up before the final is seen as a potential challenge.
Having won a world indoor championship and a world championship silver medal, Uhsang-hyuk has remained at the silver medal level in the Asian Games. If he secures a medal this time, it will mark his third consecutive medal at the Asian Games following Jakarta-Palembang and Hangzhou.
As Uhsang-hyuk aims to break his silver streak, attention is focused on whether he can surpass Barshim and finally claim his first Asian Games gold medal.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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