Jonah Chang Rigan broke his own Malaysian national shot put record with a throw of 18.81 metres at the 2026 Asian Throwing Championships in Mokpo, South Korea, on May 2 [1]. His previous record was 18.78 metres, set last year when he won gold at the Thailand SEA Games [1].
Chang's throw earned him fifth place at the event, while the gold medal went to China's Chen Hongfei with a distance of 20.18 metres [1]. The silver medal was won by Chen Chengyu of China with 19.64 metres and the bronze by Ivan Ivanov of Kazakhstan with 19.41 metres [1].
After the competition, Jonah Chang expressed confidence about his progress. He said, "I should have recorded 19m. But it’s okay; I will do it at the next competition, the Taiwan Open. Now I can see that distance and I feel capable of hitting 19m" [1].
Chang aims to surpass the 19-metre mark at his upcoming event, signaling a potential new national record in the near future [1].