Ikromova’s Perfect Five Powers Uzbekistan to the Top in Bishkek
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — Takhmina Ikromova didn’t leave a single gold behind. The Uzbek gymnast won every individual title on the table at the 17th Senior Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Championships, and her run anchored a dominant week for Uzbekistan that ended with the senior team crown and the group all-around title as well.
Held in the Kyrgyz capital from 23 to 26 May 2026, the championships brought together 18 nations and 91 senior gymnasts across the individual and group programs. By the closing ceremony, the story was simple: nobody got close to Uzbekistan when it mattered most.
A flawless individual program
Ikromova was untouchable. The 2004-born gymnast topped the All-Around Final with 115.10, then returned the next day to win all four apparatus finals — Hoop (29.25), Ball (29.05), Clubs (29.75) and Ribbon (28.45). Five events, five golds, no silver in sight.
Her Uzbek teammate Natalya Usova rounded out the all-around podium with bronze (112.40), splitting the field with Kazakhstan’s Aibota Yertaikyzy, who took silver (113.65) and stayed a constant threat across every apparatus.
The apparatus finals exposed a clear chasing pack behind Ikromova. China’s Wang Zilu collected silver in both Hoop and Ball, while Kazakhstan’s Akmaral Yerekesheva — born in 2010 and one of the youngest medalists of the week — landed on the apparatus podium repeatedly, including silver in Clubs and bronze in Hoop and Ball.
Three nations, one tight team race
The senior team standings were far closer than the individual results suggested. Uzbekistan held on for gold with 265.80, but Kazakhstan pushed them to the wire at 263.65, and the People’s Republic of China claimed bronze at 262.85 — barely two and a half points covering the entire podium.
It set up the kind of three-way rivalry that should define the next cycle in Asian rhythmic gymnastics.
China and Uzbekistan trade blows in the group event
The group competition delivered the week’s biggest plot twist. The People’s Republic of China topped qualifications and went on to win both apparatus finals convincingly — 5 Balls (27.95) and 3 Hoops + 2 Pairs of Clubs (29.25) — establishing themselves as the apparatus specialists of the field.
But in the Group All-Around Final, it was Uzbekistan who peaked at exactly the right moment, edging China by just 0.15 points (53.95 to 53.80) to take the title. Kazakhstan secured bronze at 52.85.
Korea and Japan rounded out the group medals elsewhere: Korea took bronze in the 5 Balls final (25.35), while Japan claimed bronze in the 3 Hoops + 2 Pairs of Clubs final (24.20).
The bigger picture
For Uzbekistan, Bishkek was close to a clean sweep of the senior program: the individual all-around gold and bronze, all four individual apparatus titles, the team crown and the group all-around gold. Kazakhstan emerged as the most consistent challenger across both the individual and group disciplines, while the People’s Republic of China confirmed its strength in the group apparatus events.
With 18 nations on the floor — from established powers to developing programs across West, Central, South and East Asia — the championships underlined both the depth of the continent’s talent and the widening gap at the very top.
Asia’s best now turn their attention to the road ahead, with the senior medal map redrawn and a new benchmark set in Bishkek.
Senior medal summary
Individual All-Around
🥇 Takhmina Ikromova (UZB) ·
🥈 Aibota Yertaikyzy (KAZ) ·
🥉 Natalya Usova (UZB)
Individual Apparatus
- Hoop: 🥇 Ikromova (UZB) · 🥈 Wang Zilu (CHN) · 🥉 Yerekesheva (KAZ)
- Ball: 🥇 Ikromova (UZB) · 🥈 Wang Zilu (CHN) · 🥉 Yerekesheva (KAZ)
- Clubs: 🥇 Ikromova (UZB) · 🥈 Yerekesheva (KAZ) · 🥉 Usova (UZB)
- Ribbon: 🥇 Ikromova (UZB) · 🥈 Usova (UZB) · 🥉 Yertaikyzy (KAZ)
Senior Team
🥇 Uzbekistan ·
🥈 Kazakhstan ·
🥉 People’s Republic of China
Group All-Around 🥇 Uzbekistan · 🥈 People’s Republic of China · 🥉 Kazakhstan
Group Apparatus
- 5 Balls: 🥇 People’s Republic of China · 🥈 Kazakhstan · 🥉 Korea
- 3 Hoops + 2 Pairs of Clubs: 🥇 People’s Republic of China · 🥈 Kazakhstan · 🥉 Japan
