Malaysian aerialist Yee Mei Er won first place and set a new world record in the Artistic Aerial Silks – Masters 40+ Women category at the 2026 World Pole & Aerial Sports Championships (WPAC 2026) held from Oct 27 to Nov 1 in Prague, Czech Republic.
Representing Malaysia, Yee shattered the previous world record of 50.4 points set in 2025 by scoring a phenomenal 59.4 points. She secured first place, finishing ahead of competitors from Hungary, Greece, Mexico and the Netherlands.
“Standing on the world stage representing Malaysia is something incredibly meaningful to me. This achievement means more to me than just a competition result. It represents the challenges I’ve overcome, the people who have supported me and the passion that has kept me going all these years,” said Yee.
Her victory followed a challenging year in which she was diagnosed with breast cancer, underwent surgery earlier this year, and managed a past knee ligament injury that had previously impacted her dance and aerial journey, but she worked towards her recovery and made it back to the international stage.
Yee works as a coach and master trainer at Viva Vertical, a pole dance and aerial arts studio in Petaling Jaya Midtown.
Her achievement is a reminder that personal setbacks, health challenges and age do not have to limit one’s aspirations.
She is scheduled to perform next at the Tini Tinou International Circus Festival’s ASEAN showcase in Cambodia this November.
Organised by the International Pole and Aerial Sports Federation (IPSF), the World Pole & Aerial Sports Championships 2026 brought together over 700 athletes representing 41 countries, competing across various pole and aerial disciplines on the international stage.
Unlike disciplines that place greater emphasis on technical execution, Artistic Aerial Silks prioritises creativity and freedom of expression, with performances judged on three core pillars: artistic interpretation, choreography and musicality.
In this discipline routines are evaluated based on how well the movement connects with the music and communicates a theme to the audience.
