Diving: Perfect Start For Ling Kar

Kam Ling Kar (front) and Cheong Jun Hoong performing in the 10-metre platform routine yesterday.

KAM Ling Kar's mission of sweeping four diving gold medals got off to a perfect start when she helped Perak to two gold in women's synchronised diving at Hang Jebat Sports Complex Aquatic Centre yesterday.
Ling Kar, 15, won the 3-metre springboard with Jasmine Lai when they scored 252.36 points for a runaway victory as second placed Ng Zheng Ni-Adeline Chin of Selangor registered 216.48 while Nur Dhabita Sabri-Joey Loh of Federal Territories were third with 216.21.

In the 10-metre platform, Ling Kar combined with Sea Games diver Cheong Jun Hoong to score gold with 283.35, leaving second placed Loke Shin Hui-Teoh Wen Zhing of Penang far behind at 219.51 and third placed Dhabita-Joey at 215.85.

Ling Kar, bronze medallist in last year's Asian Junior Championships in Tokyo, expects Jasmine to provide the stiffest competition in both the 3-metre springboard and 10-metre platform but she is looking forward to achieving the feat.

"My target is to go for four gold and the synchronised events were easy as my partners are very strong. My teammate Jasmine will provide the biggest challenge in the individual events," said Ling Kar, who won only a silver medal in the Games two years ago.

"My favourite event is the 10-metre platform and I'm lucky as Jun Hoong will only be focusing on the one-metre springboard.

"It has been very close between me and Jasmine but I hope that I can do better than her this time."

Ling Kar took up the sport at seven and trained for six years under China coach Zhou Xiyang while attached at Ave Maria Convent in Ipoh.

Since moving to Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) in 2008, she has shown a marked improvement and her next target is to compete in the Sea Games in Indonesia next year.

Ahmad Fakhri Khairuddin-Chew Yi Wei of Selangor and Abdul Rashid Muhamad-Pardika Indoma of Sarawak shared the spoils after being involved in a keen tussle in the men's 3-metre springbord and 10-metre platform.

Fakhri-Yi Wei won the 3-metre srpingboard with 357.96 as Rashid-Pardika settled for silver with 353.85 while Adzhar Imran Rusli-Muhammad Syafiq of Negri Sembilan secured bronze with 298.71.

Rashid-Pardika bounced back in style in the 10m-platform with a 338.13 score to push Fakhri-Yi Wei to second spot (308.58) while Perak's Muhd Syafiq Puteh-Adrian Chan finished third (307.68).