Zhang Guowei

Who is Zhang Guowei?

Zhang Guowei is a Chinese high jumper. His personal best of 2.32 m is the Chinese indoor record. He was 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.

His first season of international competition came in 2010 and with his best jump of the year he took the silver medal at the 2010 Asian Junior Athletics Championships, finishing behind Mutaz Essa Barshim. He was runner-up to Huang Haiqiang at the Chinese Athletics Championships that year. He was undefeated on the Asian Athletics Grand Prix circuit in 2011 and placed eighth at the Asian Championships. 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. A jump of 2.28 m at the national championships gained him his first Chinese high jump title.

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