Sore Back Could End Pandelela’s Hopes Of A Historic Dive

SHANGHAI: A sore back could derail platform diver Pandelela Rinong’s hopes of making history here with double qualification for the London Olympics.

Pandelela will take to the pool for the first time at Oriental Sports Centre here today, partnering seasoned diver Leong Mun Yee in a bid to defend the bronze medal they won in the previous World Championships in Rome two years ago in the women’s 10m synchronized platform.

The bronze medal earned in Rome at that time was the first ever for the country in aquatics and marked their emergence as world beaters.

But the stakes are higher this time as the world meet this time offers tickets to the London Olympics.

The top three pairs in the synchro disciplines and all the 12 finalists in the individual will make the cut early for the London Olympics.

However, head coach Yang Zhuliang is ruing the fact that Pandelela is now nursing a sore back.

“Her lower back is now troubling her.

“She can feel the pain when she dives during training when we arrived here early this week.

“She cannot apply the power when she dive. The team physiotherapist has been helping to treat her and I just pray she will be alright tomorrow.

“We have to see whether she can put up a good performance with Mun Yee in the synchro tomorrow,” said Zhuliang.

The Malaysian divers trained in Dali for the past one month before arriving in Shanghai for the world meet.

Zhuliang is hoping for the best from Pandelela, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, as she is perhaps the only diver with a shot at making history in Shanghai by earning two quota spots for the country in the platform category.

Pandelela stand a good chance to qualify for the individual 10m platform event as well this time.

The 18-year-old Sarawakian, the youngest athlete in the Road to London programme, etched her place in the history books at the last world meet by taking fifth place in the individual 10m platform final.

It was her first appearance at the world meet and she chalked the best ever finish by a Malaysian woman diver so far.

“She has a chance to make the final this time in the individual. But the competition is very, very tough as all the countries are also eyeing to qualify their divers for the Olympics.”

Meanwhile, Cheong Jun Hoong, the only Malaysian diver in action yesterday, finished 18th in the preliminaries of the women’s 1m springboard individual.

Jun Hoong still have the women’s 3m springboard to look to on Friday.