RHYTHMIC gymnast Ng Joe Ee had butterflies in her stomach during her first routine on her Asian Games debut, but she managed to stay calm and dance her way into the final of the individual all-around event.

The 17-year-old accumulated 85.150 points to be placed 14th after four apparatus in the qualifying rounds at the Huanglong Sports Centre Gymnasium, and was among 23 finalists out of the 30 who competed today.

Joe Ee, who scored two golds at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games in the individual ball and ribbon events, garnered 28.050 points in the hoop event, 28.900 pts in the ball event, 28.200 pts in the club event and 28.050 pts in the ribbon event.

The Vietnam SEA Games individual all-around silver medallist hoped to continue her good showing in the final tomorrow.

“The result was good. I hope the final will be the same. Most importantly, I have to work on improving my confidence because I do not feel confident enough… I need to tell myself that I can do it before competing.

“I am scared that my apparatus would drop… When I throw, I overthink (as to whether I) can catch the apparatus or not, so I need to stop doing that,” she said.

She described the atmosphere at the Hangzhou Asian Games as calmer than that of the World Championships in Valencia, Spain, in August.

“It was loud at the World Championships and I could not calm myself. I feel calmer here, (and I) hope the same will happen in the final,” she said.

Takhmina Ikromova of Uzbekistan topped the standings with 100.250 points, followed by compatriot Evelina Atalyants (100.200 pts) and Kazakhstan’s Elzhana Taniyeva (97.650 pts). – Bernama, October 6, 2023.