'Upsetting Korean High Jump Record' Woo Sang-hyeok and Coach Kim Do-gyun Receive 20 Million Won Each in Rewards

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Woosanghyeok Woo (25, Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps), who made a mark in the history of Korean athletics in men's high jump, and his mentor Coach Kim Do-gyun (42), a Korean athletics jumping event coach, will each receive a "Korean record reward" of 20 million won.

The Korea Athletics Federation announced on the 2nd, "According to the Korean record reward payment criteria implemented on June 11, 2020, 20 million won will be paid to Woosanghyeok Woo and Coach Kim Do-gyun."

On the 1st, Woosanghyeok Woo cleared 2m 35cm in the men's high jump final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held at Tokyo Olympic Stadium (New National Stadium), finishing in 4th place. With this performance, Woo set a new Korean record by surpassing the previous record of 2m 34cm set by Lee Jin-taek on June 20, 1997, at the National Championships by 1cm. Woo rewrote the Korean record that had stood for 24 years.

In June last year, the Korea Athletics Federation subdivided the "Korean record reward payment criteria into four levels." Until then, the same amount was paid regardless of the event or record when a Korean record was set. From 2016 until June 10, 2020, the Korean record reward was 10 million won each for the athlete and the coach.

The Korea Athletics Federation decided to increase the reward amount for "Korean records closer to world standards" based on the "World Athletics ranking points."

The Korean record closest to the world elite level is classified as Gold, and 20 million won is paid to both the athlete and the coach. A records receive 10 million won, B records 5 million won, and C records 3 million won in descending order. The Korean record set by Woosanghyeok Woo corresponds to the "world-class level" equivalent to "4th place at the Olympics."

Woo Sang-hyeok and Coach Kim Do-gyun are the first to receive the official reward of 20 million won paid by the Korea Athletics Federation in Korean athletics.