“Geordie [Beamish] and I won world indoor titles on the same day. He gave me a kick after his win last night, so I had to win, too. It’s really cool to share our best moments together.
“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. All the boys shocked me. This competition was very, very special. Winning when the guys aren’t jumping well isn’t fun, so to be able to fight against guys for the gold was special.”
Hamish Kerr of New Zealand celebrates after clearing a third attempt at 2.34m during the high jump final on day four of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025. Photo / Getty Images
Kerr and Beamish join Dame Valerie Adams (won shot put four times), Beatrice Faumuina (discus) and Tom Walsh (shot put) as New Zealanders to win world titles.
Kerr needed three attempts to clear 2.31m after being faultess at the up until that height.
The 29-year-old Kiwi and three other athletes (Woo, Ukraine’s Oleh Doroshchuk and JuVaughn Harrison of USA) remained in the competition when the bar was raised to 2.34m but all four missed on their first two attempts.
Woo was the first to advance, clearing with his final jump and looked set for gold before Kerr matched him on his last effort to leave the two to decide gold at 2.36m.
Kerr then soared over 2.36m on his first attempt, his 10th jump of the competition, equalling the Oceanian record he set to win his first global title at the 2024 World Indoor Championships.
That meant Woo had to clear 2.38m for the win but failed to do so.
Kerr took to the infield for an emphatic lap, reminiscent of his iconic lap of the field in Paris after claiming Olympic gold.
“It was pretty electric,” Kerr said. Obviously right at the end, we were the only thing in the stadium. So, I felt like they really got behind us, which was super cool. You know, those are the moments we train really hard for and it’s the moments you live for as an athlete.”
The Kiwi pole vault trio of Olivia McTaggart, Eliza McCartney and Imogen Ayris compete in the final at 10.25pm.