KUALA LUMPUR – National gymnast Muhammad Sharul Aimy Kamaru Hisam’s bid to make his Olympic debut in Paris this July could be in jeopardy.
His Olympic aspirations took a hit when the bronze medallist from the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games failed to secure a podium spot in the men’s vault final at the third series of the FIG Apparatus World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Sunday.
The 22-year-old found himself bottom of the scoreboard among the eight finalists at the National Gymnastics Arena, posting an average score of 14.099 points.
Despite missing out on a medal, Malaysian Gymnastics Federation vice president Francis Lau commended Sharul Aimy’s performance, noting the stiff competition among the final eight.
“His performance was good but every other finalist also had a good performance and landing.
“Nevertheless, Sharul Aimy’s chance of qualifying (for the 2024 Olympics) is slim,” Francis told Bernama.
Ukraine’s Nazar Chepurnyi secured the gold medal with an impressive score of 14.900 points, followed by Shek Wai-hung of Hong Kong and Harry Hepworth from Great Britain, who claimed silver and bronze, respectively, each scoring 14.866 points.
This disappointment follows Sharul Aimy’s previous attempts in the FIG Apparatus World Cup 2024 series in Cairo, Egypt, and Cottbus, Germany, where he failed to make it to the finals, finishing 27th and 17th, respectively, in the qualifying rounds.
His next opportunity to prove himself comes in the final series of the tournament scheduled in Doha, Qatar, from April 17 to 20.
The FIG Apparatus World Cup offers two Olympic slots per gender for each apparatus based on a gymnast’s best three results across four competitions.
The 2024 Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11. – March 11, 2024