Double joy: Pandelela Rinong picked up the silver in the 3m springboard on Saturday to add to the 10m platform gold the previous day.
SAKHIR: Teenager Pandelela Rinong completed her campaign in the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) diving qualifiers in style, grabbing the silver medal for Malaysia in the girls’ 3m springboard in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Saturday.
The 17-year-old Sarawakian thus became the first Malaysian athlete to qualify for two individual disciplines at the inaugural Games, which will be held in Singapore from Aug 14-26.
Pandelela made a big splash when she won the 10m platform the previous day to confirm her place as the Malaysian female representative for the Games.
She completed her impressive show by assuring herself a place in the 3m springboard competition as well after making it to the final as the third best qualifier.
In the final, Pandelela posted 453.65 to pip Canadian Pamela Ware, who managed 447.75, to the silver. China’s Liu Jiao won the event on 487.10.
Double joy: Pandelela Rinong picked up the silver in the 3m springboard on Saturday to add to the 10m platform gold the previous day.
Another Malaysian diver, Ooi Tze Liang, failed to qualify for a second event when he was placed 12th in the boys’ 10m platform preliminaries on Saturday.
China’s Zhang Yanquan won the high board competition on 642.35 ahead of Russian Oleksandr Bondar, who managed 590.15.
The top nine divers to reach the final are assured of automatic spots in the Youth Olympics, which is for athletes between 16 and 17-year-olds.
Pandelela, who hails from Kampung Jugan in Bau, which is about 30km from Kuching, was happy to be the only non-China gold medallist in the qualifiers.
“I have not prepared well on the training aspects as I injured my back sometime early last month,” said Pandelela in a telephone interview from Guadalajara.
“I only started about a week of intensive training after I recovered from my injury. I did not expect to do so well as this is still in the early part of the season.”
Besides the Youth Olympics, Pandelela’s other major assignments for the year are the New Delhi Commonwealth Games (October) and Guangzhou Asian Games (November).
The world championship finalist in the 10m platform will be making her debut in both Games and she certainly has the potential to spring some surprises.
Pandelela is yet another diving talent from Sarawak. The other Sarawakians who have made their presence felt on the international stage include Bryan Nickson, Gracie Junita and Elizabeth Jimie.
Pandelela, who was roped into the national squad three years ago, won the 10m platform individual and synchronised events in the Laos SEA Games last December.
She created history at the world championships in Rome last year in the 10m platform synchronised event, partnering Leong Mun Yee to bag the bronze for Malaysia’s first-ever medal in world championship aquatics.
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