PETALING JAYA: It is her weakest element but diver Pandelela Rinong can end the country’s wait for a first diving medal if she pulls off a clean dive when she competes in the women’s 10m platform individual of the World University Games (Universiade) in Shenzhen today.
Pandelela and Leong Mun Yee are the two Malaysian entries for the women’s individual 10m platform but the better bet is on the Sarawakian to rise to the occasion.
Mun Yee has been entered more as a warm-up ahead of the 10m platform synchro discipline tomorrow where there are also seen as a medal hope.
The Malaysian contingent are still looking for their first medal after five days of competition in the Universiade but Pandelela does not think the pressure is on her when she makes the plunge in her pet event.
Pandelela finished fifth at the World Championships in Shanghai last month and is also the reigning Commonwealth Games champion in the discipline but getting a medal here will be no easy feat as she has to contend with a top class field.
China’s Chen Ruolin, the reigning world and Olympic champion, is favoured to clinch her first gold medal at the Universiade and other medal contenders include the likes of former world champion Poala Espinosa of Mexico, Kim Un-hyang of North Korea, Julia Prokopchuk of Ukraine and Katherine Bell of United States.
All were finalists at the world meet and Pandelela is aware she needs to be in good form to fight for a medal.
“This is my first participation at the Universiade and I don’t want to pressure myself to aim for a medal as the field is strong.
“But I will definitely give my best efforts. I am still using the same set of dives and I am optimistic of making it to the semi-finals first.
“If I can execute the armstand three and a half twist routine well (the third dive), I have a good chance to step into the final and let’s see from there,” said the 19-year-old, who has already qualified early for the London Olympics next year.
Another London Olympic qualifier, Bryan Nickson Lomas, also did well to reach the men’s 3m springboard individual final en route to fifth place yesterday.
Bryan garnered 433.85 points in the final with Olympic and world champion He Chong taking gold for China in 539.30 points.
Bryan was placed seventh in the preliminaries and semi-finals respectively.
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