KUCHING: He finally did it.
For more than a year, 19 metres wasn’t just a mark – it was the one barrier Jonah Chang Rigan was determined to break.
On Tuesday (June 30) in Kazakhstan, the Sarawak shot putter finally broke through, launching a national-record throw of 19.12 metres at the XXXV Qosanov Memorial 2026 to become the first Malaysian to surpass the elusive barrier.
The effort earned Jonah the silver medal while eclipsing his own national record of 18.81m, which he had set at the Asian Throwing Championships in Mokpo, South Korea, on May 2.
More than another entry in the record books, the throw fulfilled one of the Sarawak strongman’s biggest personal ambitions.
In recent months, Jonah had spoken openly about his determination to breach the 19-metre mark after repeatedly coming agonisingly close. Every competition brought him nearer. This time, the barrier finally gave way.
The latest achievement continues a remarkable run of progress for the national athlete.
Earlier this year, Jonah ended Malaysia’s long wait for a new men’s shot put record before raising the benchmark again in South Korea. Now, with a throw of 19.12m, he has lifted the national standard once more while reinforcing his status as the country’s leading shot putter.
Yet even after achieving the milestone he had long pursued, Jonah’s attention is already fixed on the next target.
His latest effort leaves him just 29 centimetres shy of the 19.41m qualifying standard for the 2026 Asian Games, another goal he has repeatedly identified as a key objective.
The gap is now smaller than ever.
Having realised his dream of becoming the first Malaysian to break the 19-metre barrier, Jonah’s focus now shifts to earning his place at the Games.
For an athlete who has consistently treated every record as another stepping stone rather than a finish line, Tuesday’s achievement feels less like the end of a journey than the beginning of the next chapter.
