First-ever Commonwealth Games Diving Gold Medal For Malaysia

PANDELELA Rinong knew her destiny was in her hands as she stepped up to make her final plunge, knowing that she needed to score at least 80.05 to create one of the biggest upsets in Commonwealth Games diving history.
And a cool Pandelela rose to the occasion, barely caused a ripple as she plunged into the pool to win a first-ever diving gold medal for Malaysia in the Games series at the Dr S.P. Mukherjee Stadium last night.

Pandelela broke into smiles after she glanced at the scoreboard and knew the women’s 10m platform gold was for her as she flashed a victory sign.

She was rewarded with a 81.60 to overcome the 0.5 deficit with a total of 371.05 to clinch the seventh gold medal for Malaysia in the Delhi Games.

Melissa Wu, the 2008 Beijing Olympics silver medallist and gold medallist in the 10m platform synchronised event on Sunday, was the leader going into the final dive but she had to settle for silver on 369.50. The bronze went to another Australian, Alexandra Croak, on 355.40.

Pandelela had raised hopes that she could be the one to break the dominance of Australia, England and Canada in Commonwealth Games diving after making it to the final as the top qualifier.

She was expecting stiff competition in the final but to her credit gave a determined performance when the chips were down.

“I was about 15 points adrift after the second dive and I was not confident of a gold then,” said the 17-year-old Bidayuh lass, who hails from Bau, a small town near Kuching.

“But I was not about to give up. I always listen to my coach’s advice on not to give up. I did well in the last two dives. I knew I had won the competition after I came out of the water in the last attempt.”

Pandelela’s confidence was also in place as she finished better than Melissa en route to taking fifth place in the world championships in Rome last year.

It is Pandelela’s second medal in her debut Games appearance after taking silver with Leong Mun Yee in the 10m platform synchronised discipline on Sunday.

Yeoh Ken Nee failed to grab a first medal in the Delhi Games, finishing sixth in the men’s 3m springboard final in which Beijing Olympic silver medallist Alexandre Despatie led Reuben Ross to a 1-2 for Canada.

Ken Nee scored 422.30, just ahead of compatriot Bryan Nickson Lomas, who chalked up 419.30. The third Malaysian finalist, Mohd Fakhrul, was placed 10th on 381.50.

It was the second gold medal won by Despatie after coming out tops in the 1m springboard final on Sunday.