National Diver Returns Home To A Heartwarming Reception

SEPANG: National diver Pandelela Rinong, who made the country proud with her Olympic bronze medal achievement in London last week, returned home to a heart-warming reception by her schoolmates and her parents whom she has not seen for the last few months.

The 19-year-old’s face lighted up as she was greeted by her proud father Pamg Joheng and mum Hartini Lamim after stepping out from the plane.

Her parents were specially flown in from Kuching by national carrier Malaysia Airlines (MAS) who also upgraded Pandelela to the business class seating on the flight home to honour her distinction of becoming the first woman Olympic medal winner for Malaysia with her bronze medal dive in 10m platform.

An estimated 100 sports fans and students from the Bukit Jalil Sports School together with Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Shabery Cheek gathered early in the morning to welcome home the nation’s newest Olympic heroine.

Heroine returns: Pandelela Rinong shows her bronze medal to her mother Hartini Lamim (right) and father Pamg Joheng upon arrival at KLIA. — AZHAR MAHFOF / The Star

And despite elevating her sport to the highest level, Pandelela is adamant that she will stay modest.

“I want to thank all those involved in the efforts towards making this possible, including my family who have supported me all the way in my career.

“My most cherished experience competing in my second Olympics was to be able to give a fight to the world’s best divers out there.

“I want to stay the same despite this success as I feel more comfortable being humble. I intend to keep training hard to get ready for the next Olympics in Rio and also the World Championships in Spain next year,” said Pandelela, who returned home along together with the aquatics team.

The divers have been given a one-week break and Pandelela hopes to catch up on lost time with her parents.

“I have not stayed in my parents’ home since the year started. I returned once but it was for the state sports awards that time. I will not think of diving for the moment,” said Pandelela.

Heroine’s welcome: Students from the Bukit Jalil Sports School greeting Olympic bronze medallist Pandelela Rinong at the KLIA yesterday.

But it would be difficult for her to keep a low profile. The spotlight will be on her in the coming days when she returns to a grand reception by her state government tomorrow night while Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is scheduled to meet her on Friday.

Pandelela Eyes More Glory

SEPANG: National diver Pandelela Rinong Pamg is giving hope to at least win a silver medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio di Janeiro.

“I want the top three (medals). I hope to bring home silver. God willing, the gold, but it will be tough as Chinese athletes have dominated the sport,” she said soon after landing at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport yesterday.

Scores of Malaysians came to show support for the win and sought autographs from the 19-year-old at the airport lobby.

Pride of the nation: Pandelela showing her medal to photographers at KLIA in Sepang. 

Pandelela's return to Malaysia from London was met with cheers and shouts of “Malaysia Boleh!” from fans and supporters.

The Bidayuh lass said it was “an honour” to be the first Malaysian woman to win an official Olympics medal and hoped that Malaysian youths, especially sport divers, would be inspired by her feat.

D. Gayatri, 15, skipped school for a chance to meet Pandelela and get a photograph. She said she was also a swimmer and plays badminton too.

“I want to be a national athlete like Pandelela,” she added.

Another fan S. Padmarajh, 28, said he had also turned up to welcome silver medallist Datuk Lee Chong Wei.

Pandelela posing with Hartini and Pamg.

“We should be proud of our athletes. Every Malaysian who can be here should be here. I turned up for our hero, now I'm here to see the queen,” he added.

Thirty-eight students from Bukit Jalil Sports School turned up at the airport, accompanied by teacher Samsyul Hisyam and school officials.

“I was not surprised that Pandelela has reached such heights as she was exceptionally talented and determined, as well as a bright student,” Samsyul added.

Pandelela's parents, Pamg Joheng, 46, and mother Hartini Lamim, 44, who were also at the airport, said they were very proud of their daughter.

 

 Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, who was at the airport to greet Pandelela, told reporters that he would take full responsibility for the national team's failure to meet its gold medal target at the London Summer Olympics.

“The diving event has developed. But we have to improve the current infrastructure and help them gain exposure,” he added.

Bryan Misses Cut Despite Good Fifth Dive

BRYAN Nickson Lomas only just missed the cut for the semi-finals of the men’s 10m platform diving competition.

He finished 19th after a disastrous third dive left him trailing badly and he failed to join the top 18 despite collecting a fabulous 96.35 in his fifth attempt.

Bryan, 22, from Kuching, collected 434.95 points with scores of 81.60, 68.45, 29.70 (a back 3½ somersault), 74.25, 96.35 and 84.60.

In the 2008 Beijing Games, Bryan finished 26th out of 28 contestants in the same event with 384.45 points.

Pandelela Fights Back From Disastrous Start To Claim Bronze

DIVER Pandelela Rinong made history as Malay­sia’s first woman athlete to win an Olympic medal, the nation’s first in any sports besides badminton.

The 19-year-old Sarawakian came back from a disastrous first dive to claim the bronze in the women’s 10m individual platform at the Aquatics Centre on Thursday night.

But the celebrations were subdued, unlike that which greeted Lee Chong Wei when he won the silver medal in the badminton men’s singles last Sunday.

The badminton medal was expected and although diving had promised to deliver, not many had given them a chance after they had failed in the previous six events.

But Pandelela finally lived up to her potential and a heroic dive in the fifth round gave her a well-deserved bronze medal.

But it could so easily have been a silver if only she had not fluffed her first attempt.

But she managed to claw her way back to accumulate 359.20 points behind Australia’s Brittany Broben (366.50) and Chen Ruolin of China, who was the runaway winner with an astounding 422.30 points.

Pandelela’s first dive, a forward 3½ somersault netted only 58.50 and put her in 10th spot after the first round but subsequent dives of 64.00 (armstand back double somersault 1½ twist), 81.60 (inward 3½ somersault) and 76.80 (back ½ somersault 1½ twist) saw her back in contention.

Pandelela was in tears as she savoured a landmark medal for Malaysia.

“I feel very proud and happy because I just won a medal for my country.

“It’s really an honour. It’s a great, great thing for Malaysia,” Pandelela said.

“I feel very proud of Malaysia. I hope Malaysia is proud of me.

“Diving is not that popular like badminton. I hope this will inspire youngsters to take up diving.”

The bronze is worth RM150,000 under the Youth and Sports Ministry’s (Shakam) incentive scheme.

She will also receive a monthly pension of RM2,000.

The silver and bronze equals Malaysia’s previous Olympic best at Atlanta 1996.

Then, the doubles pair of Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock won the silver while Rashid Sidek took the bronze.

Bryan Nickson Lomas will be competing in the men’s 10m individual platform today at the same venue.

Malaysians Ecstatic Over Pandelela’s Historic Olympic Win

PETALING JAYA: Pandelela Rinong Pamg who wrested a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics in a most unexpected way has set Malaysians riding on a huge wave of national sporting pride.

Malaysians from all walks of life took to Twitter to express their emotions and congratulate the petite Bidayuh lass from Sarawak for making history as Malaysia's first woman Olympic medallist and the first to win one outside of badminton.

Sharing the happiness: Pandelela showing her medal to teammates (from left) Leong Mun Yee, Ng Yan Yee, Yeoh Ken Nee and Traisy Vivien after meeting with the Malaysian press at the Athletes Village in London. — AZMAN GHANI / The Star Add caption

The 19-year-old finished third behind China's Chen Ruolin and Australia's Brittany Broben in the 10m individual platform event.

She pipped Melissa Wu of Australia by a mere 1.1 point to take the bronze.

Cycling champion Josiah Ng, whose tweet was retweeted over 400 times by his followers, wrote: “Congratulations to my fellow Sarawakian, Pandelela Rinong for Malaysia's first female medal. #bronze #diving #teammalaysia.”

Women's squash world number one Nicol David tweeted:“Well done to our Malaysian diver Pandelela Rinong Pamg for picking up a Bronze! Amazing achievement!” Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's congratulatory tweet at 6.30pm yesterday was retweeted over 1,000 times by his followers. “Great performance by Pandelela! First Malaysian Woman to win an Olympic Medal. Syabas dan Tahniah!” Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin also tweeted, saying: “Tahniah dan syabas Pandelela kerana meraih pingat gangsa utk negara! (Congratulations, Pandelela for winning a bronze medal for the country) Well done! You did us proud!” Another Malaysian woman, M. Vasugi, won a bronze medal in taekwondo in the Seoul Olympics in 1988 but the sport was only a demonstration event then and was not considered in the official medal tally. Pandelela, who won the National Sportswoman Award this year, is also the country's first woman to serve as flag bearer, leading the 28-member contingent during the opening ceremony on July 27. Former Bernama editor-in-chief Datuk Seri Azman Ujang said he and his family had spent a sleepless night watching Pandelela at the women's 10m individual platform event. The Sarawakian said he and Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe, the MP of Mas Gading where Pandelela's home is, had been exchanging a running SMS commentary throughout the event. “She gave us some nervous moments but then she improved. This is such a fantastic achievement for the country and something completely unexpected.”

Atta girl!: Pandelela showing her excitement after winning the bronze at the Women’s 10m individual platform event at the Aquatics Centre in London.

Dr Tiki said Pandelela had made the entire Bidayuh community extremely proud. Wanita MCA secretary-general Chew Lee Giok praised Pandelela's perseverance and determination as “an encouragement to Malaysian women and youths with dreams and aspirations”.

Pandelela And Jun Hoong Not Expected To Make A Splash

THE vaunted Malaysian divers take the plunge tomorrow with Pandelela Rinong and Cheong Jun Hoong competing in the 3m synchronised springboard where a medal would be bonus.

Coach Yang Zhuliang said they were not expecting the unexpected as the duo would be up against top notch competition.

“The divers from China, Canada and the US are the favourites and we are not really in their class,” he said.

“It will be tough going and we are hoping for the best.”

Yang sees the event more as a useful warmup for the divers.

“It will allow Pandelela and Jun Hoong to get a feel of the competition, which will help them in the individual event. It’s like testing the waters,” he said after the training session yesterday morning.

Yang feels Malaysia’s best medal hopes are in the women’s 10m individual platform and the men’s 3m.

“The China divers are the overwhelming favourites in every event. Only then come the others,” said Yang.

“Our divers have had a very good preparation. Let’s hope they can carry out their routines well enough to impress the judges.”

Pandelela is not putting herself under pressure by setting any targets other than to do her very best.

“The pool conditions are excellent and the divers shouldn’t face any problems,” she said.

“We are all eager to get into action as it will be easier to stay focused once we get started.”

Pandelela is down for the 3m springboard synchronised, 10m individual platform and 10m platform synchro.

Leong Mun Yee, Bryan Nickson Lomas, Yeoh Ken Nee, Huang Qiang are also touted as medal prospects in their events.

But Yang wants his charges to simply dive to the best of the abilities and take it from there.

“They must let their performance speak for them. We know the capabilities of the others so it’s best that we concentrate on outperforming them wherever possible.”

Still, Yang is well aware that the challenge is all about beating the awesome Chinese who are looking for a clean sweep of the gold medals.

The others will realistically only have a chance if the China divers slip up or have a bad day.

But then sports is all about the unexpected.

DIVING: Contenders Till The End

TIME TO REPAY: Malaysia’s adopted son Huang Qiang (and Bryan) intend to do country proud

Huang Qiang (right) and Bryan Nickson Lomas are among the medal contenders in the eight-pair syncho discipline.

 IT will be an emotional return to the Olympics for naturalised Malaysian Huang Qiang in London.

Huang Qiang, a former Asian Games silver medallist, was a strong contender at the 2000 Sydney edition when representing China with Tian Liang in the 10m platform synchro but a back injury squashed his hopes.

"It was the saddest moment of my life. I was all pumped up and had travelled to Sydney with my team. However, I suffered an injury and my Olympic dreams were dashed," said Huang Qiang, 31.

"Qualifying for the London Olympics with Bryan (Nickson Lomas) was the happiest day of my life. I want to return with a medal.

"It feels good to return to the Olympics after 12 years but unlike in Sydney, I want to compete this time. I thank everyone for making this a reality. I want to repay the Malaysian government for granting me citizenship."

Huang Qiang will compete in the men's 3m springboard individual and synchro with Lomas in London.

Lomas-Huang Qiang, who won Malaysia's first ever bronze at the World Cup in London five months ago, are among the medal contenders in the eight-pair syncho discipline.

"The two-month training stint in Dali and Guangzhou has helped us improve our synchronisation. Lomas and I have never failed to win a medal since pairing up for the first time at the World Cup and we hope to maintain our track record in London," Huang Qiang added.

Lomas-Huang Qiang, the World No 7, continued their impressive performance from the World Cup by winning gold in the United States and Canada legs of the Diving Grand Prix Circuit.

In London, however, China's world champions Qin Kai-Luo Yutong, Russia's IIya Zakharov-Evgeny Kuznetsov and Mexico's Julian Sanchez-Yahel Castillo are among the favourites while Britain's Chris Mears-Nick Robinson-Baker could upset the form book.

"We are not changing our routines due to time constraint. Our combination, however, has improved so much.

"China are beatable but the British pair could surprise as they have home ground advantage. We must focus solely on our routines during the event if we hope for a good result," Huang Qiang added.

Read more: DIVING: Contenders till the end - Other - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/sports/other/diving-contenders-till-the-end-1.112424#ixzz21boXRzZv

DIVING: Shining Stars

BRIGHT CHANCE: Pandelela and Mun Yee under pressure to deliver

PANDELELA Rinong made her entry into the national team only five years ago but she is now the brightest gem in Malaysian diving.

Pandelela has achieved many firsts for local diving and if the 19-year-old continues with her form, she could be Malaysia’s first Olympic medallist in the sport.

The Kuching-born diver will be hoping to cap her fine season with an Olympic medal but awaiting her in London is a host of world class divers, also hoping to make the podium.

It will be a busy Olympic session for the youngster as she will be down for three events—women’s 10m platform individual and synchro; and 3m springboard synchro — in London.

Pandelela, a Commonwealth Games champion, has a good chance of a medal in the platform synchro with Leong Mun Yee. The pressure is on them to deliver as they are the third ranked pair in the world.

Pandelela-Mun Yee first made history by becoming Malaysia’s first World Championship medallists, a bronze, in Rome, three years ago and continued their progress by finishing on the podium in several tournaments. “We are among the best in the world but we will have seven other polished pairs gunning for medals in our event in London. I do not want to put pressure on myself by saying we can win a medal.

“I believe that as long we execute our dives well, we will earn a good result. Mun Yee and I have been trying out new routines and I believe we are ready to push for medals,” said Pandelela, who was last year’s National Sportswoman of the Year.

Pandelela made her Olympic debut at the Beijing Games four years ago, but failed badly finishing 27th in the platform individual but since then she has improved tremendously.

“I was nervous in Beijing as it was my first Olympics. It was a tough competition but the experience has made me wiser. I know what to expect in London,” she said.

The Sea Games champion was more interested with toys than diving before a state coach handpicked her for aquatics when she was eight.

Pandelela was not a good swimmer and had to be taught the basics of floating before she took her first plunge from a springboard at nine and five years on, after winning several local diving competitions, was selected to join the national squad.

Her best achievement was winning the platform individual gold at the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games by edging leading Australian diver Melissa Wu.

“That was my personal best. It was a glorious day not only for me but also for Malaysian diving,” said Pandelela, the Malaysian flag-bearer for the London Games.

Pandelela,abigfanofSouthKorean music and drama, has won medals in all major diving events except at the Olympics, which she hopes to achieve in London. As for Mun Yee, a veteran of three Olympics, will become only the second local athlete apart from sailor Kevin Lin to compete in four editions when she starts her campaign in London.

“This should be my last Olympics and I will try my best to win a medal.

“I have put off my semester studies each year when there is a major championships.

Many of my course mates are already working but I have yet to graduate,” said Mun Yee, who has been studying at Universiti Putra Malaysia for the last six years.

Mun Yee, who made her Olympic debut in Sydney, 12 years ago, plans to retire after London.

• Name: Leong Mun Yee
• Date of birth: December 4, 1984
• Place of birth: Ipoh
• Career achievements: Sea Games — 2001 Kuala Lumpur: four gold (3m springboard individual and synchro with Rosatimah Mohamed; and 10m platform individual and synchro with Rosatimah Mohamed); 2003 Hanoi: one gold (10m platform), one silver (10m platform synchro with Cheong Jun Hoong) and one bronze (3m springboard); 2005 Manila: two gold (10m platform individual and synchro with Cheong Jun Hoong), two silver (1m and 3m springboard) and one bronze (3m springboard synchro with Cheong Jun Hoong); 2007 Korat: two gold (1m springboard individual and synchro with Elizabeth Jimie) and one silver (3m spring board); 2009 Laos: two gold (3m springboard synchro with Wendy Ng; and 10m platform synchro) and one bronze (3m springboard); 2011 Palembang: two gold (3m springboard synchro with Wendy Ng and 10m platform synchro with Traisy Vivien); Asian Games — 2002 Busan: one bronze (3m springboard synchro with Farah Begum Abdullah); 2006 Doha: two bronze (3m springboard individual and synchro with Elizabeth Jimie); 2010 Guangzhou: two silver (3m springboard synchro with Wendy Ng and 10m platform synchro); Commonwealth Games — 2010 New Delhi: one silver (10m platform synchro); World Championships — 2009 Rome: one bronze (10m platform synchro); Diving World Series— 2011 Beijing leg: one silver (10m platform synchro); 2012 Dubai leg: one silver (10m platform synchro); Moscow leg: one bronze (10m platform synchro); Universiade — 2011 Shenzhen: one bronze (10m platform synchro); German Open — 2011: one gold (10m platform synchro)
• London expectations: A medal contender in the 10m platform synchro (with Pandelela Rinong).
• Competition date: July 31 (10m platform synchro with Pandelela Rinong).

• Name: Pandelela Rinong
• Date of birth: March 2, 1993
• Place of birth: Kuching
• Career achievements: Sea Games — 2007 Korat: one gold (10m platform synchro with Cheong Jun Hoong) and one silver (10m platform); 2009 Laos: two gold (10m platform individual and syn chro); 2011 Palembang: one gold (10m platform); Asian Games — 2010 Guangzhou: one silver (10m platform synchro) and one bronze (10m platform individual); Commonwealth Games — 2010 New Delhi: one gold (10m platform) and one silver (10m platform synchro); World Championships — 2009 Rome: one bronze (10m platform synchro); Diving World Series— 2011 Moscow leg: one silver (10m platform) Beijing leg: one silver (10m platform synchro); 2012 Dubai leg: one silver (10m platform synchro) and one bronze (10m platform); Beijing leg: one bronze (10m platform); Moscow leg: one bronze (10m platform synchro)
* Leong Mun Yee-Pandelela Rinong finished overall third on the tour rankings
Diving Grand Prix — 2010 Montreal leg: one gold (10m platform); Youth Olympics; 2010 Singapore: two silver (3m spring board and 10m platform); Universiade — 2011 Shenzhen: one silver (10m platform) and one bronze (10m platform synchro); German Open — 2011: one gold (10m platform synchro) and one silver (10m platform)
• London expectations: A medal contender in the 10m platform individual and synchro (with Leong Mun Yee).
• Competition dates: July 29 (3m springboard synchro with Cheong Jun Hoong); July 31 (10m platform synchro with Leong Mun Yee); Aug 8-9 (10m platform).
* All synchro medals won was with Leong Mun Yee unless stated

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Shahidan Believes Pandelela And Co Can Deliver In London

SEPANG: There was a pleasant surprise for the eight Malaysian divers as they flew out last night to fulfil a two-medal target at the London Olym­pics.

Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (Asum) president Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim gave out £4,000 as pocket money to be shared among those in the aquatics team to boost their spi­­rits ahead of their Olympic assignment.

And he believes they can meet the two-medal target.

“Malaysian diving has improved tremendously since the last Olympics and, based on feedback from the coaches after their two-month training stint in China, we believe getting a medal is not impossible,” he said. “But we will try to get two medals.

Time to deliver: Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim wishing the team all the best yesterday. The team left for London last night.

SWIMMING: Being Realistic

TOUGH: Cai Lin will find it difficult qualifying for the final

Khoo Cai Lin

MANY believe that a baby born on Christmas Day will enjoy good fortune.

For Khoo Cai Lin, this certainly holds true if her swimming exploits are anything to go by. Her involvement in the sport started at the age of three when she was forced into the pool at Petaling Jaya’s Kelab Syabas by her parents.

She eventually progressed to competitions and after winning several junior competitions, Cai Lin decided she needed a new challenge and tried synchronised swimming.

Cai Lin thrilled spectators with her strong and graceful performances in synchronised swimming and even represented the country in the 2001 Kuala Lumpur Sea Games. But she got bored and switched back to swimming. That was a decade ago and she is now poised to compete in her second Olympics. Cai Lin will be Malaysia’s sole representative in London, and will be in action in the women’s 800m freestyle “I got bored with synchronised swimming as it was not challenging.

Cai Lin’s All Focused On The Task At Hand

PETALING JAYA: It has been an emotional and anxious journey for top middle distance swimmer Khoo Cai Lin in qualifying for the London Olympics.

The 24-year-old Cai Lin, who qualified for London under Olympic selection time criteria a year ago, was at first denied a slot by FINA, the governing body for aquatics as only the top six swimmers who qualified under that category were given a spot.

But, a few days later, Cai Lin’s despair turned to joy as a few countries declined the FINA invitation in the 800m freestyle and she once again found herself bound for London.

Anxious: Khoo Cai Lin will be participating in the women’s 800m in London.

Diving Team Have A Good Shot At Breaking Through In The London Games

NO Malaysian has made it past the preliminary rounds of the individual competition when it comes to diving at the Olympics but that should change in London when the action begins from July 28.

For the first time, the diving team have a real good shot at breaking through and it is no longer just about returning with their heads held high.

Diving represents Malaysia’s biggest team to the London Games with eight contenders and coach Yang Zhuliang is adamant that his charges, who have been training in Guangzhou for nearly two months, can create history.

The diving squad won 10 out of 12 quota spots for Malaysia from the World Cup in London, including three in the synchro disciplines for the first time.

And Pandelela Rinong (pic), who is set to become the first national woman flag-bearer at the opening ceremony on July 27, feels their chances are just as good as the rest when it comes to the synchro.

Pandelela Tipped To Be First Malaysian Woman Flag Bearer For Olympic Games

PETALING JAYA: It will be another feather in the cap for diver Pandelela Rinong if she is picked as the Malaysian flag bearer for the opening ceremony of the London Olympics on July 27.

Pandelela is tipped to become the first Malaysian woman athlete to have the honour of leading the contingent out at the Olympics.

It has always been the men in previous Games since the nation’s first participation in Melbourne 1956 and world No. 1 shuttler Chong Wei could, perhaps, have carried on the tradition had he not injured his ankle last month.

Chong Wei could go into action the day after the opening ceremony depending on the fixtures and that may be a reason for not considering him.

Strong candidate: Pandelela is now in the final lap of Olympic preparation in China. 

Pandelela To Compete In Three Events At London Games

PETALING JAYA: Diver Pandelela Rinong is not just among the youngest of the Malaysian athletes bound for the London Olympics — she has the most daunting task ahead of her as well.

The 19-year-old National Sportswoman of the Year has got the nod from head coach Yang Zhuliang to compete in three events in her second Olympic appearance.

Besides the 10m platform individual and synchro, where she combines with regular partner Leong Mun Yee, Pandelela is also joining forces with Cheong Jun Hoong for the 3m springboard synchro.

Tough task: Pandelela Rinong will be the only Malaysian diver to participate in three events at the London Olympics.

The Olympic Council of Malaysia met yesterday to finalise the names of athletes who have already earned Olympic quota spots for the country from eight sports so far.

Pandelela, runner-up in the prestigious four-leg World Diving Series recently, will be the only Malaysian down for three events and she definitely needs to be mentally as well as physically strong for the challenge.

Swimmers Can Help Meet 33-mark For London

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia sent 33 athletes to compete in individual sports at the Beijing Olympics four years ago and that feat could be repeated again in London if the swimmers play their part in the Malaysian Open starting at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil today.

So far, 27 athletes from seven sports have qualified for the London Games. They are diving (9), badminton (six), cycling (five) and archery (four) while fencing, shooting and weightlifting will have one representative each.

Five swimmers have made the Olympic invitational time but their participation will be subject to them remaining in the rankings list compiled by FINA, the sport’s governing body, until July 3.

A country can field one swimmer for each individual discipline if they make the cut from the Olympic invitational time – previously known as the B time.

A country can field two swimmers per event if both of them make the Olympic selection time, which is considered the A time.

The Malaysian swimmers who have dipped under the Olympic invitational time thus far are Khoo Cai Lin (400m freestyle), Chui Lai Kwan (50m freestyle), Christina Loh (100m breaststroke), Siow Yi Ting (100m and 200m breaststroke) and Kevin Yeap (1,500m freestyle).

DIVING: Lomas Gathering Momentum For London

BRYAN Nickson Lomas is not far off achieving a 530-point mark in the 10-metre platform individual which will be enough to win an Olympic medal in London.

Bryan Nickson Lomas

The 22-year-old is confident of doing it soon following several breakthrough performances of late.

Lomas breached the 500-point mark for the first time to retain his 10m platform gold medal at last November's Sea Games and last month, executed one of the most difficult dives in the sport at the World Cup in London.

DIVING: Duo Prepared To Sacrifice For Medal Shot

BRYAN Nickson Lomas and Pandelela Rinong may each drop one event in pursuit of a medal at the London Olympics Games in July.

The divers have each qualified for three Olympic disciplines but it could be too taxing for them to concentrate on all of them.

Bryan has earned quota spots in the 3-metre springboard and synchro (with Huang Qiang); and 10m platform individual.

As for Pandelela, the Sarawakian is in the 10m platform individual and synchro (with Leong Mun Yee); and 3m springboard synchro (with Cheong Jun Hoong).

Bryan admitted that it would be too tough for him to compete in three events.

"I may drop one event, maybe the springboard individual, as medal chances in this discipline are slim," said Bryan.

Pandelela, however, may have no choice but to feature in all three events as her teammates are not good enough.

"I need to weigh my priorities before making a decision. Personally, I would love to compete in all three disciplines, but if I do, I may not be able to focus," said Pandelela.

Malaysia will be represented by eight divers in 10 events in London but there could be an addition if Ooi Tze Liang gets the nod from Fina, the world body for aquatics, for the men's springboard individual.

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