New Zealand secured a second gold medal in as many days at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, with Hamish Kerr claiming the men’s high jump title just 24 hours after Geordie Beamish’s historic steeplechase win.
Kerr, already an Olympic champion, cleared 2.36 metres to take gold at the National Stadium. South Korea’s Sanghyeok Woo won silver with 2.34m, while Czech athlete Jan Stefela secured bronze on countback from Ukraine’s Oleh Doroshchuk with 2.31m.
The competition reached a dramatic climax when Woo skipped the 2.36m height in pursuit of 2.38m, but failed to clear the bar, leaving Kerr to celebrate in front of a lively crowd of 37,000.
“Today I had to fight for the gold. It was not an easy final for me,” Kerr said afterwards. “Many times I thought I wouldn’t win. But being able to fight and not give up is important. I showed it tonight. It’s not over until it’s over.”
Kerr said Beamish’s landmark victory the previous evening gave him extra motivation: “Geordie and I have won world indoor titles on the same day before. He gave me a kick in my ass after his win last night so I had to win too! It’s really kind of cool to share our best moments together.”
For Kerr, the atmosphere of the Tokyo crowd made the night unforgettable. “The thing about the high jump I love most is being able to perform and put on a good show. We definitely did it tonight. I am stoked with the gold and stoked with the way I did it.”
Woo, a two-time world indoor champion and silver medallist at Eugene in 2023, said he was surprised by the height required to win. “I was in shape for this and during the competition I was ready to jump more,” he said. “I have already started to prepare for the world championships in Beijing in 2027. I want to fight for another medal there.”
Kerr’s win, following Beamish’s triumph, marks a historic double for New Zealand athletics on the global stage.
Reporting by RNZ