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Independent Singapore
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Independent Singapore
Mikayla Yang from Team Singapore finished fifth in the hoop final at the 2025 Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Championships
Team Singapore's Mikayla Yang successfully placed fifth in the hoop final at the 16th Senior Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Championships. This result has been the best yet achieved by a Singaporean gymnast at the tournament. Moreover, the 17-year-old athlete also placed sixth in the ball category and seventh in the ribbon event. With her impressive wins, Yang expressed: 'It was really special to compete on home ground. This was my first time taking part in such a major international competition in Singapore, and having my friends, family, and supporters in the crowd made the experience unforgettable. Hearing them cheer for me lifted my spirits and reminded me of how much support I have behind me. I'm happy with how I performed across the championships. I definitely felt an improvement from my last competition. While there were still some small mistakes, I managed to push through and stay focused. It was also my first time qualifying for three apparatus finals, so I'm proud I was able to perform most of them cleanly, soak in the moment, and represent Singapore with pride.' Uzbekistan's Takhmina Ikromova, the Asian Games gold medallist, won first place in both the hoop and club events. Furthermore, Anastasiya Sarantseva, Ikromova's teammate, won gold in the ball, while Aibota Yertaikyzy of Kazakhstan won the ribbon category. Yang placed sixth overall in the All-Around category, with a score of 76.500 across her top three routines. The Singaporean followed behind Ikromova (84.500), Sarantseva (83.850), and Yertaikyzy (82.200). Other tournament updates Team Singapore's Leia Yap and Lydia Lim placed 10th and 11th in the All-Around competition at the Junior Asian Championships. More so, Yap also finished fifth in the ribbon final. Due to the great results from the Singaporean team, the CEO of Singapore Gymnastics, Richard Gordon, admitted: 'This has been a fantastic event for Singapore Gymnastics and for Singapore as a whole. It's only the second time we have hosted a gymnastics competition of this stature, and the first time we have done so for rhythmic gymnastics. The feedback has been very positive, about the event itself, about Singapore, and about Singapore Gymnastics. It reflects not just our standing as a top sporting nation, but also Singapore's growing reputation as a destination for major sporting events. We have also seen encouraging results. Mikayla has really stepped up, and this is the first time we have achieved performances at this level. But it's not just Mikayla, our juniors have made finals too, and that shows we have a strong pipeline coming through.' In the hoop event, Uzbekistan's Viktoriya Nikiforova won first place, with China's Wang Qi and Kyrgyzstan's Sofia Iarovaia finishing second and third. Kazakhstan's Akmaral Yerekesheva showed dominance by winning gold in the ball final and went on to win two more golds in clubs and ribbons. In the overall All-around standings, Wang Qi led the rankings with a score of 98.450, followed by Yerekesheva and Kuwait's Layan Behbehani. Kazakhstan won the senior group title with a final score of 48.450. South Korea came in second with 48.250, and Uzbekistan earned bronze with 48.200. See also 2026 Tour de France to begin with a team time trial in Barcelona In the Junior group All-Around competition, Uzbekistan won gold, scoring 45.300. Kazakhstan won silver with 42.050, while Malaysia won bronze with a score of 40.600.
Straits Times
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Uzbekistan's Takhmina Ikromova reigns at Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian C'ships in Singapore
Uzbekistan's Takhmina Ikromova put on a dominant display, winning three golds at the Asian Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Singapore. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO SINGAPORE – Putting on a masterclass in poise, Uzbek gymnast Takhmina Ikromova showed just why she is one of the best in the continent with a dominant display at the Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Championships in Singapore over the weekend. Holding the audience spell-bound at the OCBC Arena, the 20-year-old won the individual all-round category for a third time on May 17, regaining the title from retired Kazakh Elzhana Taniyeva following her 2022 and 2023 triumphs. Ikromova racked up a score of 84.500 over the hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon segments, while compatriot Anastasiya Sarantseva took silver with 83.850, ahead of Kazakhstan's Aibota Yertaikyzy (82.200). On May 18, Ikromova picked up another two golds in the apparatus finals for the ball and clubs, drawing more cheers and applause from the audience as she demonstrated immaculate grace under pressure. Sarantseva and Yertaikyzy won the hoop and ribbon titles respectively. Speaking via a translator, Ikromova said: 'I'm very happy with the results here at the Asian championships. 'The conditions here are different from our country and that was a bit of a challenge but overall my performance was good.' Ikromova has been tipped for great things since announcing her arrival on the international stage with three gold medals in the Uzbekistan leg of the 2022 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup, where she became the first Uzbek in several years to win the individual all-round and individual apparatus titles at that level. The following year, she clinched both individual and team titles at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. While she finished 14th at the 2024 Paris Olympics, she added that she is 'not upset and moving on'. Looking ahead, Ikromova added: 'In Paris not everything worked out, (but) let's see what happens next, for now I'm just training and preparing hard for the next competition.' Her compatriot Sarantseva, meanwhile, is eyeing the 2025 world championships in Brazil, the 2026 Asian Games in Japan and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. The 16-year-old, who has two golds from the 2023 Asian championships in Manila as a junior, said: 'I'm very happy that I was able to show a good result. There were (some) mistakes today that I will work on with my coach, but I'm satisfied. 'This time I didn't get some moves right and was probably a little confused, but it was an experience that will bring me more victories in the future.' Singapore's Mikayla Yang competing in the ribbon category at the OCBC Arena on May 18. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO There were also cheers for the home competitors as Mikayla Yang, 17, claimed the highest finish for a Singaporean by finishing sixth out of 39 in the all-round category with a score of 76.750, having placed ninth in the 2024 edition in Uzbekistan. Compatriot Thea Chew (71.650) came in 15th. Mikayla, whose sixth placing also met the Asian Games qualifying mark, said competing in front of a home crowd gave her a lift. 'The support that I got from all my friends and everyone, just being able to be here and watch me live is just amazing, she added. 'I definitely improved from my last competition, and I felt more stable here, even though there were some little mistakes, we were still able to push through.' She also reached three apparatus finals in the hoop (fifth), ball (sixth) and ribbon (seventh) categories. Next in her sights are the Milan leg of the World Cup from July 18-20 and the Aug 20-24 world championships in Rio de Janeiro if she is selected to take part. 'The target is definitely to be the top South-east Asian athlete in those competitions,' Mikayla added. 'And to have four clean routines with all my power and of course, for the SEA Games to bring home the gold medal.' Of Mikayla's performance, Singapore Gymnastics chief executive Richard Gordon said: 'I think Mikayla has really stepped up. This is the first time that we've had such results and it's not just her. 'Our juniors have done well, they've made finals, which is very, very encouraging. It suggests that we've got a pipeline coming through. 'And with Mikayla, looking at next year's Asian Games, she's done herself the power of good for qualifying and being in a good position to attack the podium.' In the junior competition, Singapore's Leia Yap and Lydia Lim placed 10th and 11th respectively out of 46 in the all-around category won by China's Wang Qi. Leia also qualified for the ribbon final, where she finished fifth out of eight. This is the second gymnastics event of this stature hosted in Singapore after the Asian Artistic Gymnastic Championships in 2023, and Gordon said the feedback has been 'very positive'. Melvyn Teoh is a sports journalist at The Straits Times. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
