Yap wins Team Singapore's first medal at the Glasgow Games. Photo: SpexSG/ Andy Chua
The last day of artistic gymnastics competition at the 2026 Commonwealth Games brought with it a first medal for Team Singapore in Glasgow as debutante Amanda Yap not only mounted the balance beam in the individual apparatus final but also the podium when she clinched silver with a near-flawless routine.
16-year-old Yap, who was Singapore’s first gymnast to make a world championship final in Jakarta last October, underscored her meteoric rise with her latest piece of silverware, after scoring 13.233 in the balance beam final on Tuesday (Jul 28, Glasgow time).
With a celebratory order of ice cream and cup noodles on the cards, Yap said of her achievement, "It's a great honour to be able to do this for our country. It makes me really happy, and I hope it inspires others.
“It shows that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it.”
This comes after Yap ended a two-decade-long wait for an individual SEA Games balance beam medal last December with a silver on her debut.
Her performance also equalled the Republic’s best finish in gymnastics at the quadrennial Games, with Lim Heem Wei the only other gymnast to take the second step of the podium with her 2010 silver in the balance beam.
Of Yap’s performance, Lim said, “I am just so, so proud to see Amanda – at such a young age – achieving so much on this international stage. I was truly in awe of her composure and her ability to manage the pressure out there.”
“A silver at this level is a monumental achievement. I hope this is just the beginning, and that her story continues to inspire her teammates and the nation.”
Australia’s recently-crowned team gold medallist and all-around silver medallist Breanna Scott struck gold with a score of 13.933, while Canada’s Lia-Monica Fontaine claimed bronze (13.000) to add a fourth medal to her haul this week.
Competing against a field brimming with experience and featuring multiple World Championships medallists, Yap showed few signs of nerves to nail the second-best 8.233 execution score in the decider, second only to Scott, who scored 8.333.
Only in her second year as a senior, Yap displayed remarkable poise as she delivered a polished and confident beam routine. Despite competing with a difficulty score three-tenths lower than in qualification, she delivered a near-flawless execution and capped her performance with an acrobatic dismount that sent the Singapore faithful at the Glasgow International Arena into raptures.
“(The medal) definitely gives me a lot of confidence, but there’s always other gymnasts coming in who are seniors next year... I'm working harder to get even better and stronger.”
She did, however, have to endure a nerve-wracking wait as six more athletes took to the beam after her.
But the tension gave way to celebration when the scores were confirmed — the recently crowned Sportsgirl of the Year was heading home with a silver medal.
Later on in the afternoon, Yap returned to the spring floor where she posted a score of 11.000 to finish eighth out of eight in the floor exercise final, but the result did little to take the gloss off her silver medal-winning performance on the beam.
The 23rd Commonwealth Games are held in Glasgow from 23 July to 2 August 2026. For the latest Team Singapore coverage and news, follow Team Singapore on their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) or visit the official Team Singapore website.