Experience the true prize for youngsters Kang Xian, Marissa

By the Editorial Team · Friday, September 25, 2026

Malaysian gymnasts Yeap Kang Xian and Marissa Zaiful Azlan placed seventh and eighth in the women's vault final at the Asian Games, gaining valuable experience as the youngest competitors in the event. Their strong showing highlights Malaysia’s growing potential ahead of the Southeast Asian Games set to be hosted at home next year.

Malaysian gymnasts Yeap Kang Xian and Marissa Zaiful Azlan gained valuable experience at their first Asian Games, finishing seventh and eighth respectively in the women’s vault final on Thursday at the Nagoya City General Gymnasium. Both athletes, aged 17, were the youngest competitors in the event. Kang Xian scored 12.983 points, while Marissa earned 12.733 points.

The final was headed by South Korea’s Yeo Seo-jeong, who secured the gold medal with a score of 14.483. North Korea’s An Chang-ok took silver with 13.666 points, and China’s Du Siyu claimed bronze with 13.450 points. Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Quynh Nhu, the only other Southeast Asian athlete in the final, narrowly missed the podium, placing just behind with 13.449 points.

The performance of the Malaysian duo signals positive progress ahead of the Southeast Asian Games scheduled to take place in Malaysia next year.

In the uneven bars final, Malaysian captain Rachel Yeoh Li Wen placed seventh with 12.733 points, falling short of her personal best of 14.000 set during qualifying rounds earlier in the week.

Meanwhile, in the men’s floor exercise final, Carlos Yulo of the Philippines captured the gold medal, continuing his streak as one of Asia’s top gymnasts. The 26-year-old Olympic champion, who has trained in Japan under a local Olympic committee scholarship, delivered a technically precise routine to earn 14.666 points, narrowly edging out Kazakhstan’s Milad Karimi, who scored 14.600. Japan’s Shoma Tsukiyama claimed bronze with 14.566 points.

Yulo’s victory added to his growing collection of accolades, including multiple Olympic titles he secured at the Paris Games. This gold medal on home soil marked a significant achievement, completing his set of world, Olympic and continental championships.

“We can just relax and really hope for the best tomorrow,” Yulo commented following his win.

The event also featured the impressive participation of 51-year-old Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan, the oldest finalist in the women’s vault competition, whose age surpasses the combined ages of the two youngest Malaysian gymnasts.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.