Seo Chaehyun and Woo Sanghyeok Shake Off Tokyo Regrets from 3 Years Ago (Comprehensive) [Paris Olympics]

Seo Chaehyun 13th in Bouldering... Possible Comeback in Main Event Lead
Woo Sanghyuk Personal Best 2m36... This Year 2m33

Climber Seo Chaehyun (Seoul City Hall) and male high jumper Woo Sanghyeok (Yongin City Hall) are making a leap to overcome their regrets from three years ago.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Seo Chaehyun competed in the women's combined semifinal of the 2024 Paris Olympic sport climbing event held on the 6th (local time) at Le Bourget Climbing Venue in Paris, France.

The combined event ranks athletes by adding scores from bouldering and lead climbing, each worth 100 points. Seo Chaehyun scored 44.2 points in bouldering, placing 13th among twenty competitors. She needs to perform well in the lead event and enter the top 8 to contend for medals in the final on the 10th.

There is a good chance she will reach the final. The lead event, held on the 8th, is Seo Chaehyun’s main discipline. She currently ranks 3rd in the women's lead world rankings compiled by the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC). In contrast, her world ranking in bouldering is 17th.

Seo Chaehyun also demonstrated outstanding skills in the lead event at the 2020 Tokyo Games when she was seventeen. At that time, unlike now, the combined ranking was determined by aggregating results from three disciplines: bouldering, lead, and speed climbing.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At that time, Seo Chaehyun placed 8th in speed and 7th in the combined final among eight finalists. She aimed for first place in the last lead event. Due to the unique scoring system, the highest score could earn a bronze medal.

Lead climbing involves ascending an artificial wall (protrusions and holds) 15 meters high, reaching the highest point within 6 minutes. There are 40 holds in total. Among the eight finalists in the 2020 Tokyo Games, Seo Chaehyun was the only athlete to touch all of them.

The Slovenian Janja Garnbret, who ranked first in the lead final, touched 37 holds. Seo Chaehyun needed to touch 38 holds to win the bronze but fell short with 35 holds, missing out on a medal.

She plans to showcase her skills in lead again at this competition to aim for a medal. Unlike three years ago, speed climbing is now a separate event, so the combined event is decided only by lead and bouldering, which clearly benefits Seo Chaehyun.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

After the bouldering event, Seo Chaehyun expressed confidence in an interview, saying, "I think I can turn things around in lead and definitely make it to the final." She also expressed satisfaction with her bouldering results.

Bouldering is a competition where athletes must touch holds arranged like a puzzle on a 4.5-meter-high wall and ultimately touch the top hold with both hands. Four problems are assigned 25 points each. Completing a problem by touching the top hold earns 25 points. Scores vary depending on how far the athlete reaches, such as high zone (10 points) and low zone (5 points).

Seo Chaehyun said, "My strength has improved a lot compared to Tokyo. Back then, I couldn't show a completed climb in bouldering, but this time I succeeded." She succeeded in the second problem, earning 24.8 points.

Seo Chaehyun will compete in the combined semifinal lead event at 5 p.m. Korean time on the 8th. If she ranks within the top 8, she will advance to the final on the 10th.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Woo Sanghyeok will compete in the high jump qualifying round at Stade de France in Paris at 5:05 p.m. Korean time on the 7th. To advance to the final, he must rank within the top 12.

This is his third Olympic appearance. At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, he failed to advance to the final with a jump of 2.26 meters. At the 2020 Tokyo Games, he cleared 2.35 meters and achieved 4th place, the highest ever by a Korean athlete in track and field at the Olympics.

Since then, Woo Sanghyeok has risen as a world-class jumper. He won the 2022 World Indoor Championships with a jump of 2.34 meters and placed 2nd at the outdoor World Championships by clearing 2.35 meters. Last year, he won the Diamond League Final with a 2.35-meter jump.

His personal best is 2.36 meters. This year, he has cleared 2.33 meters. To improve his condition, Woo trained for three weeks at a pre-camp set up by the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee near Paris. He entered the Olympic Village on the 4th.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Medal contenders include Gianmarco Tamberi (Italy), Hamish Kerr (New Zealand), Jarvis Harrison and Shelby McEwen (both USA), and Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qatar). At the 2020 Tokyo Games, Tamberi and Barshim both cleared 2.37 meters and shared the gold medal.

This year, three athletes have recorded higher jumps than Woo Sanghyeok: Tamberi (2.37 m), Kerr (2.36 m), and Harrison (2.34 m). McEwen cleared the same height as Woo at 2.33 meters. Barshim, the current top jumper, has taken a breather with 2.31 meters.

Another member of the athletics team, male triple jumper Kim Jangwoo (Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps), will compete in the qualifying round at 2:15 a.m. Korean time on the 8th. He won a bronze medal at last year’s Asian Athletics Championships. This year, he also earned a silver medal at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, narrowing the gap with the world’s best.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In the U.S. Women’s Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour, Ko Jinyoung, Kim Hyoju, and Yang Heeyoung will tee off in the first round at Le Golf National in Giancourt near Paris. Ko Jinyoung will compete against 2020 Tokyo Games champion Nelly Korda (USA) at 4:55 p.m. Korean time. Kim Hyoju and Yang Heeyoung will start at 5:11 p.m. and 6:55 p.m., respectively. All three aim to reclaim the gold medal in this event for Korea, following Park Inbee, the 2016 Rio de Janeiro gold medalist, after eight years.