14-year-old wins unprecedented silver for Singapore at Junior Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Asian C’ships
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Singapore's 14-year-old Amanda Yap won silver in the balance beam event at the Junior Asian Championships.
PHOTO: FINTAN HONG
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SINGAPORE – After barely making it through to the balance beam final at the Junior Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships, Singapore’s Amanda Yap was not expecting a medal.
Competing in her first overseas competition, the 14-year-old, who finished ninth in the qualifying round on May 25, had reached the eight-gymnast final only after China’s seventh-placed Chu Yiming dropped out as the country had already taken up its quota of two spots.
But Amanda surpassed her own expectations by clinching a historic silver medal in the May 26 final in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. It was also Singapore’s first medal in the competition’s history.
She scored 12.800 points, finishing behind South Korea’s Hwang Seo-hyun (14.166). Japan’s Mito Sumikama (12.800) had to settle for bronze despite earning the same points as Amanda had a higher execution score.
This result came after compatriot Jovi Loh had won a bronze in parallel bars
Amanda told The Straits Times: “A podium finish was definitely not expected. I went into the competition just wanting to have fun, as I felt I had no chance at winning.
“I’ve practised this routine many times and I wanted to do it perfectly, so I focused on keeping myself calm and just being confident.
“I feel really happy about my performance today, as I managed to execute my skills cleanly. I feel honoured to have clinched this first for Singapore and I hope there will be many more to come.”
While it was her first time competing abroad, Amanda did not let nerves get the better of her. She had achieved a personal best in her all-around score during qualification, and met her target of reaching a final, having also qualified for the floor exercise final.
Singapore Gymnastics high performance technical director Karen Norden said Amanda is one of the juniors to watch, adding: “She has not yet achieved the desired difficulty level, but her execution was precise, and her ability to control her nerves and perform with minimal deduction was incredible, reflecting the quality of her training.”
Norden also expressed her appreciation towards national coach Zhang Zhen and her team, who have helped build the gymnastics programme in Singapore.
“It has been a significant team effort, and it truly takes a village,” Norden said.
Amanda, who first joined the national training centre in 2022, pointed out that her older sister Emma, 19, remains a source of inspiration for her. Emma, who is part of the national set-up, has represented the Republic at the SEA Games and Asian Games.
Said Amanda: “When I was younger, I often watched my sister doing gymnastics and wanted to give it a go because I wanted to fly in the air like she did.
“If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be in this sport at all.
“Seeing her go on these big stages definitely motivates me to do better, and I hope to compete alongside her one day.”
She admits that seeing some of her teammates quit gymnastics is challenging for her mentally, but she enjoys the sport as it allows her to step out of her comfort zone.
Looking ahead, Amanda hopes to qualify for the 2025 SEA Games. She has also set her sights on the Asian and Commonwealth Games, competitions her sister has taken part in.
“I will continue to work hard and do my best,” she added.
