Pranati Nayak finishes 6th in Asian Games vault final, improves on Hangzhou
Synopsis
Pranati Nayak climbed two spots from Hangzhou to finish sixth in the Asian Games vault final in Nagoya, scoring 13.100 despite a comeback from injury. India's gymnastics medal drought, stretching back to Ashish Kumar's bronze in 2010, continues — but Pranati's steady improvement keeps the conversation alive.
Key Takeaways
Pranati Nayak finished sixth in the women's vault final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on 24 September 2026 .
She recorded an aggregate score of 13.100 , up from 12.350 and an eighth-place finish at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games .
Both her vaults scored 12.900 each, with a difficulty score of 4.4 and execution mark of 8.500 per attempt.
Gold went to South Korea's Yeo Seo-jeong , silver to An Chang-ok (DPRK), and bronze to China's Du Siyu .
India's last Asian Games gymnastics medal was Ashish Kumar's bronze at the 2010 Guangzhou Games — over 16 years ago.
Indian gymnast Pranati Nayak finished sixth in the women's vault final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday, 24 September 2026, recording an aggregate score of 13.100 at the Rainbow Hall of the Nagoya City General Gymnasium. The result marked an improvement of two places from her eighth-place finish at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, where she had scored 12.350.
How Pranati Performed
The 31-year-old Tokyo Olympian, the sole Indian gymnast competing at the Games, produced identical scores of 12.900 on both her vaults. She was awarded a difficulty score of 4.4 and an execution mark of 8.500 for each attempt, with a 0.20 bonus added to her overall tally to arrive at the final aggregate.
Pranati had qualified for the eight-gymnast final after finishing seventh in Tuesday's qualification round with a score of 12.916. In that round, she registered 13.000 on her first vault and 12.433 on her second to secure her spot in the medal round.
Medal Winners
Republic of Korea's Yeo Seo-jeong, the Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist, claimed the gold medal. Defending champion An Chang-ok of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea settled for silver, while China's Du Siyu took the bronze.
Context and Comeback
Pranati entered the Nagoya Games after recovering from a leg injury and having endured a difficult Commonwealth Games in Glasgow earlier this year, where she failed to advance to the vault final. Her sixth-place finish, despite those setbacks, represents a measure of progress on the continental stage.
Notably, Pranati is a three-time Asian Championships bronze medallist in vault and has consistently been India's foremost vaulter at the continental level. She previously represented India at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, making her one of the country's most experienced gymnasts in international competition.
India's Gymnastics Medal Drought Continues
India's wait for an Asian Games gymnastics medal remains unfulfilled. The country's only medal in the sport at the Games dates back to Ashish Kumar's bronze in the floor exercise at the 2010 Guangzhou Games — a gap of over 16 years. Pranati's improving trajectory offers a sliver of hope, but a podium finish at this level remains elusive for Indian gymnastics as a whole.
With the Nagoya edition concluded, attention will now turn to whether Pranati can build on this performance heading into future international cycles.
Point of View
But it also underlines how far India's gymnastics programme has to travel before it can challenge for continental medals. Returning from a leg injury and a disappointing Commonwealth Games, she delivered consistent vaults — yet consistency at 12.900 places her squarely in the bottom half of an eight-woman field. India has had a single gymnastics medal at the Asian Games in 16 years; incremental ranking gains, while admirable, are not the same as closing the structural gap in difficulty scores that separates Indian vaulters from the regional podium.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What score did Pranati Nayak get in the Asian Games 2026 vault final?
Pranati Nayak scored an aggregate of 13.100 in the women's vault final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, recording identical scores of 12.900 on both her vaults with a difficulty score of 4.4 and execution mark of 8.500, plus a 0.20 bonus.
Where did Pranati Nayak finish at the Asian Games?
She finished sixth in the women's vault final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, improving by two places from her eighth-place finish at the 2023 Hangzhou edition.
Who won the women's vault gold at the 2026 Asian Games?
South Korea's Yeo Seo-jeong, the Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist, won the gold medal. An Chang-ok of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea took silver, and China's Du Siyu claimed bronze.
When did India last win a gymnastics medal at the Asian Games?
India's only Asian Games gymnastics medal was Ashish Kumar's bronze in the floor exercise at the 2010 Guangzhou Games, a drought now stretching over 16 years.
What challenges did Pranati Nayak face before the Nagoya Games?
Pranati competed in Nagoya after recovering from a leg injury and a difficult Commonwealth Games in Glasgow earlier in 2026, where she failed to advance to the vault final.
