Zhang Guowei (high jumper)

In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhang.
Zhang Guowei
Zhang Guowei at the 2015 World Championships
Personal information
Born (1991-06-04) June 4, 1991 (age 33)[1]
Yantai, China
Height2.00 m (6 ft 6+1⁄2 in)
Weight77 kg (170 lb)
Sport
Country China
SportAthletics
EventHigh jump
Medal record
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2015 Beijing High jump
Updated on 30 August 2015

Zhang Guowei (Chinese: 张国伟; born June 4, 1991) is a Chinese high jumper. He holds the Chinese indoor record of 2.33 metres, and has jumped 2.38 metres outdoors. He was the 2015 World Championship silver medallist and the silver medallist at the 2012 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships. He has been a finalist at the World Championships in Athletics and the IAAF World Indoor Championships and represented China at the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2016 Summer Olympics.

Career

Born in Penglai, Zhang began to train in the high jump at the age of 15.[2]

His first season of international competition came in 2010 and with his best jump of the year (2.23 metres) he took the silver medal at the 2010 Asian Junior Athletics Championships, finishing behind Mutaz Essa Barshim.[3] He was runner-up to Huang Haiqiang at the Chinese Athletics Championships that year.[4] He was undefeated on the Asian Athletics Grand Prix circuit in 2011 and placed eighth at the Asian Championships.[5] He was selected for the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, where he cleared a personal best 2.31 m in the qualifying and went on to finish tenth in the final.[6] A jump of 2.28 m at the national championships gained him his first Chinese high jump title.[7]

At the 2012 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships Zhang repeated his regional placing behind former junior rival Barshim and was the silver medallist.[8] His good form continued at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships as he finished joint fourth with a Chinese record-equalling mark of 2.31 m (tying with former world record holder Zhu Jianhua).[9] He was selected to represent China at the 2012 London Olympics but did not progress to the final.[10] He defended his national title in September by equalling his personal best mark.[11]

Zhang overhauled Zhu's 26-year-old Chinese indoor record in March 2013, clearing 2.32 m to become the outright record holder.[12] Zhang narrowly failed to equal Zhu's national record of 2.39 m when he came second at 2.38 m behind Mutaz Essa Barshim (winner at 2.41 m) in the Eugene Oregon IAAF Diamond Meet on 30 May 2015.[13] The 2015 World Championships were held in Beijing, and there Zhang achieved his best World Championship result, second place with a jump of 2.33 m.[14] This was the first World Championship high jump medal China had won since Zhu Jianhua's medal in 1983.[2]

In 2016, he again represented China at the Olympics.[15]

Zhang announced his retirement via social media in April 2020.[16]

Competition record

Year Competition Venue Position Notes
Representing  China
2010 Asian Junior Championships Hanoi, Vietnam 2nd 2.23 m
2011 Asian Championships Kobe, Japan 8th 2.15 m
World Championships Daegu, South Korea 10th 2.25 m
2012 Asian Indoor Championships Hangzhou, China 2nd 2.28 m
World Indoor Championships Istanbul, Turkey 4th 2.31 m
Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 21st (q) 2.21 m
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia 9th 2.29 m
2014 Asian Indoor Championships Hangzhou, China 3rd 2.20 m
World Indoor Championships Sopot, Poland 7th 2.29 m
Asian Games Incheon, South Korea 2nd 2.33 m
2015 World Championships Beijing, China 2nd 2.33 m
2016 World Indoor Championships Portland, United States 6th 2.29 m
Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 25th (q) 2.22 m
2017 Asian Championships Bhubaneswar, India 2nd 2.28 m
World Championships London, United Kingdom 24th (q) 2.22 m

References

  1. ^ "Guowei ZHANG | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org.
  2. ^ a b Wu, Vincent (8 December 2014). "Zhang Guowei: Following the footstep of China's high jump legend Zhu Jianhua | FEATURE | World Athletics". www.worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  3. ^ Asian Junior Championships 2010 Archived 2013-08-31 at the Wayback Machine. WJAH. Retrieved on 2013-03-17.
  4. ^ Jalava, Mirko (2010-08-09). National record for Yang Yansheng in men's Pole Vault - Chinese Champs & Asian Games Trials. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-03-17.
  5. ^ Xie Limei again the best as Asian Grand Prix concludes in Wujiang. IAAF (2011-05-30). Retrieved on 2013-03-17.
  6. ^ Guowei Zhang Archived November 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-03-17.
  7. ^ Jalava, Mirko (2011-09-11). Women's throws, men's 100m national record highlight the Chinese championships. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-03-17.
  8. ^ Krishnan, Ram. Murali (2012-02-19). Barshim soars 2.37m Asian record in Hangzhou as Asian Indoor champs conclude. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-03-17.
  9. ^ Ramsak, Bob (2012-03-11). EVENT REPORT - Men's High Jump - Final. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-03-17.
  10. ^ Men's High Jump Qualification Archived 2012-12-08 at archive.today. London2012. Retrieved on 2013-03-17.
  11. ^ Jalava, Mirko (2012-09-26). Chinese championships close out domestic season well. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-03-17.
  12. ^ Jalava, Mirko (2013-03-07). Dong Bin leads the way as indoor records tumble in Nanjing. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-03-17.
  13. ^ "Diamond League Results" (PDF). diamondleague.com. May 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Guowei ZHANG | Profile". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  15. ^ "Zhang Guowei Bio, Stats, and Results | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com". sports-reference.com. 2020-01-14. Archived from the original on 14 January 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  16. ^ "China's twerking high jumper Zhang Guowei retires at 28". CNA. Retrieved 2020-04-13.