SEA Games 2025: Rhythmic gymnast Mikayla Yang’s silver is S’pore’s best individual all-around result
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Singapore's Mikayla Yang celebrating with her silver medal after the SEA Games rhythmic gymnastics women's individual all-around event in Pathum Thani on Dec 16.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Joel Chang
Follow topic:
- Mikayla Yang won a silver medal in rhythmic gymnastics, a historic first for Singapore at the SEA Games.
- Yang led for three rounds but was overtaken by the Philippines' Jasmine Ramilo in the all-around. She expressed slight disappointment but contentment with most of her routines.
- Yang's success follows adjustments after the 2025 Asian Championships, and she will now prepare for the 2026 Asian Games.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – Rhythmic gymnast Mikayla Yang made history by winning Singapore’s first silver medal in the individual all-around on Dec 16 in Pathum Thani, but she could not help but feel a tinge of regret.
The debutante’s final score of 101.490 put her just behind the Philippines’ Jasmine Ramilo, who claimed the gold with 102.180, with 2022 silver medallist Ng Joe Ee of Malaysia rounding out the podium with 96.890 at Thammasat University’s Rangsit Campus.
The Singaporean came up short in the chase for the title, having led the field after the hoop, ball and clubs apparatus. But the 18-year-old could muster only a low 22.53 in the final ribbon event to lose the gold to the 17-year-old Filipina-Italian by a 0.69 point margin.
Yang said: “There’s a little disappointment with my performance towards the end. The ribbon was the one I felt could have been better (at), and it was the last routine.”
Mikayla Yang in action during the SEA Games rhythmic gymnastics women’s individual all-around ribbon round, in which she was disappointed with her performance. The Singaporean won the silver on Dec 16 in Pathum Thani.
PHOTO: EPA
Nevertheless, she expressed gratitude at being able to break new ground in rhythmic gymnastics.
Her result eclipses that of Tong Kah Mun, who clinched a bronze at the 2017 Games – the only time a Singaporean had previously won a medal in this event.
Yang also credited her better performance in these Games to her experience during the Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Championships held on home soil in May.
Although she did not medal at the Asian meet, the competition gave her a better understanding of what she needed to improve on for the Games in Thailand.
Berfin Serdil Ors, performance director of Singapore Gymnastics, was full of praise for Yang, whose next major assignment is the Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya from Sept 19 to Oct 4.
“Mikayla fought until the very end and did an amazing job. Her silver medal is a great result, as this is only her first SEA Games,” he said.
“Mikayla and the rest of Team Singapore have worked very hard for this SEA Games, and this silver medal is the result of long training hours, dedication and teamwork.”
Mikayla Yang in action during the SEA Games rhythmic gymnastics women’s individual all-around ball round, which saw her remain at the top of the standings before the final two rounds. She ended up winning the silver on Dec 16 in Pathum Thani.
PHOTO: EPA
Overall, Singapore’s gymnasts racked up four silvers and a bronze in Thailand.
The other silvers came via sisters Amanda and Emma Yap in the balance beam and floor exercise respectively, while the sole men’s medallist was Asher Pua in the pommel horse. Colleen Hong bagged bronze on the uneven bars.
The Republic won a single silver at the 2023 Games in Cambodia.
“We hope that we will continue working as a team and achieve more success in the future,” noted Ors.
