Malaysian shot put athlete Jonah Chang Rigan created a sensation by breaking the national record with a throw of 18.81 meters (m) at the 2026 Asian Throwing Championship held at the Mokpo City Sports Complex.

The performance surpassed his previous record of 18.78 m set at the 2025 Bangkok SEA Games, proving the athlete’s continued progress on the international stage. Despite the record-breaking feat, Jonah finished outside the podium positions in a highly competitive field.

The gold medal was claimed by China’s Chen Hong Fei, who recorded a throw of 20.18 m to break the championship record. His compatriot, Chen Cheng Yu, took the silver medal with a distance of 19.64 m, while the bronze went to Kazakhstan’s Ivan Ivanov with a mark of 19.41 m.

“I should have been able to hit 19 meters, but it’s okay because I now know the distance and can perhaps achieve it in future championships,” Jonah remarked regarding his performance.