KUALA LUMPUR: Sharul Aimy soared to new heights, clinching Malaysia's historic first medal at the Men's Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan yesterday (May 19).
The 22-year-old secured the bronze in the men's vault event, dazzling the audience and judges with his routine, earning 14.4666 points.
Carlos Yulo of the Philippines (14.883 points) and Uzbekistan's Abdulaziz Mirvaliev (14.783) won the gold and silver, respectively.
However, it was still not good enough to earn a Paris Olympic berth.
Malaysian Gymnastics Federation (MGF) vice-president Francis Loh said Sharul's participation in only one event in Tashkent falls short of the Olympic criteria.
Only the all-around champion will head to Paris.
"However, it is still an excellent performance. Sharul is the first Malaysian to win a medal at the Asian Championships," said Francis.