Rachel and Co emerge as best South-East Asian team with fifth spot

Flipping forward: Cadence Teh Zi Qi performing her floor exercise routine during the women’s team final. – AP

THE performance of the national women’s artistic gymnastics team led by Rachel Yeoh Li Wen at the Asian Games is a promising sign ahead of the 2027 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.

Despite missing out on a podium finish and being outshone by gymnastics powerhouses China, Japan, North Korea and South Korea at the Nagoya City General Gymnasium yesterday, the team coached by Ng Shu Wai can take heart from emerging as the best Southeast Asian nation at the Games.

The team of Rachel, Cadence Teh Zi Qi, Yap Kang Xian and Marissa Zaiful Azlan collected 149.063 points to finish fifth, ahead of sixth-placed Philippines (147.763) and eighth-placed Singapore (143.329).

The result augurs well as the team eye gold at next year’s SEA Games.

China continued their dominance in the team event, claiming gold with a score of 166.462 – their 14th team title since the event was first contested at the 1974 Tehran Games.

Japan took silver (165.362) and North Korea settled for bronze (158.329).

The 27-year-old Rachel scored the highest mark in the uneven bars (13,900) while Cadence, 17, did well in balance beam (12,733).

Kang Xian, also 17, earned the highest marks in the floor exercise (12.533) and vault (12.900).

Rachel and Kang Xian have qualified for today’s uneven bars and vault individual finals.

Said Shu Wai: “We’ve been building this team for a few years, especially with the young ones like Kang Xian, Marissa and Cadence – all still in their teens, and in the right age for SEA Games.

“This development is good, but we must keep working hard as other Asean nations are also improving, especially the Philippines, who now have several American-based gymnasts in their team.”