Filipino gymnast John Ivan Cruz won the vault apparatus gold medal at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games at Thammasat University, Thailand, after a successful protest upgraded his initial silver finish.
Cruz shared the top spot with Malaysia’s Muhammad Sharul Aimy, both scoring an average of 13.833 points, while Thailand’s Tikumporn Surintorta took bronze with 13.717 points.
The 24-year-old admitted missing out on defending his floor exercise title motivated him to focus on the vault and execute his routines with precision.
He explained that a review of his performance revealed lower-than-expected deductions, prompting judges to adjust his score in his favor.
Meanwhile, fellow Filipino gymnast Aleah Finnegan also benefited from a score review, turning her initial silver in the vault into gold and adding a bronze on the balance beam to her SEA Games medal haul.
Source: PhilNews24 | December 13, 2025
CRUZ AWARDED JOINT GOLD IN SEA GAMES VAULT FOLLOWING PROTEST
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