South Korean high jumper Woo Sang-hyeok has grabbed the silver medal at the world championships, falling just shy of a history-making title on his sport's biggest stage.

By matching his own national record at 2.35 meters, Woo finished as the runner-up to Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar at the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, on Monday (local time).

Woo, 26, was trying to become the first South Korean to capture an outdoor world title in any track and field event. Woo won the indoor world championship in March this year, also a first for South Korea.

Instead, Woo has joined race walker Kim Hyun-sub as the only two South Korean medalists at the outdoor worlds. Kim finished sixth in the men's 20km race walk in 2011 but moved up to bronze after athletes ahead of him failed doping tests. (Yonhap)