The Star : Pandelela closes the year with a win in Gold Coast

PETALING JAYA: Pandelela Rinong signed off the year with a splash – bagging a superb win for Malaysia in the Australian Diving Grand Prix in Gold Coast.

Pandelela Rinong (left) and Leong Mun Yee with their silver medals.

The 24-year-old went in front with two dives to go in the women’s 10m platform individual final and never faltered – finishing with 319.40 points at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre yesterday.

Canada’s Celina Toth, who was leading until the third dive, settled for silver with 310.20 points. Australia’s Anna Rose Keating took bronze with 285.65 points ahead of teammate Britanny O’Brien (256.60).

Pandelela, who posted scores of 72.00-52.20-70.40-72.00-52.80 in the final, is now the first Malaysian two-time winner of an individual event at the Diving Grand Prix series.


Cheong Jun Hoong repeated the feat when she won the women’s 3m springboard individual final in Singapore in 2014.

Wendy Ng Yan Yee became the third Malaysian winner when she clinched the women’s 3m springboard individual in Kuching, Sarawak, last year.

Jellson Jabillin (left) and Cheong Jun Hoong posing with their silver medals at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre yesterday. 

National coach Yang Zhuliang was happy to see Pandelela, a two-time Olympic medallist, stamp her mark in the absence of the Chinese divers.

“China did not enter the women’s platform competition, but it was still a good battle between the divers from the Commonwealth countries.

“Pandelela managed to come out on top in the end. It’s still early days, but Pandelela definitely stands a good chance to fight for gold at the Commonwealth Games when we return to this venue in April next year,” said Zhuliang.

Pandelela claimed gold in the 10m platform individual at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India, but settled for silver in Glasgow, Scotland, four years later.

Malaysia also won three silver medals in Gold Coast yesterday.

Pandelela had earlier combined with Leong Mun Yee to take silver with 287.10 points behind Australians Melissa Wu-Taneka Kovchenko in women’s 10m platform synchro.

Chew Yiwei-Ooi Tze Liang got the second silver for Malaysia in men’s 3m springboard synchro with 387.00 points, finishing behind 2017 World Championships silver medallists Cao Yuan-Xie Siyi of China (420.84).

Jellson Jabillin then combined with Cheong Jun Hoong to contribute the third silver in the mixed 10m platform synchro final with 262.71 points behind Britons Gemma McArthur-Lucas Thomson (269.46).

“I only trained for two weeks with Jun Hoong before the Malaysian Diving GP in Bukit Jalil, where we won the gold. So I’m very satisfied to have won that gold and now this silver in my second GP meet. It is an awesome experience combining with a world champion diver (Jun Hoong),” said the 16-year-old Jellson, who is from Sabah.



Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/sport/diving/2017/11/12/a-fitting-end-pandelela-closes-the-year-with-a-win-in-gold-coast/#tfCYGEd7JPs8cJOF.99

The Star : Dhabitah looks good for glory at Commonwealth Games

PETALING JAYA: Teenage diver Nur Dhabitah Sabri (pic) has the potential to serve up a golden surprise in the women's 3m springboard individual at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, in April.

The 18-year-old got her act right when it mattered most to claim a place in the women's 3m springboard individual final as the best-ranked Com­monwealth diver at the Australian Diving Grand Prix in Gold Coast yesterday.

Dhabitah earned 308.40 points for her five-dive routine to finish second ahead of American Maria Coburn ((262.75) in the first semi-final.

That was enough for her to make the final at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre tomorrow.


Malaysia’s second diver Jasmine Lai missed out after placing sixth (206.45).

Australia have no representatives in the final after both Anabelle Smith (246.30) and Alysha Koloi (267.00) finished fourth in their respective semi-final.

Chen Yiwen of China won the second semi-final (311.15) ahead of American Krysta Palmer (284.80) and New Zealand’s Elizabeth Cui (270.20).

In the preliminaries, Dhabitah was sixth (271.90) and Jasmine 12th (218.60).

Dhabitah should be assured of a place in next year’s Commonwealth Games because Rio Olympian finalist Wendy Ng is set to sit it out due to a doping offence during the Kuala Lum­pur SEA Games in August.

A nation can name up to three divers for the individual events at the Commonwealth Games.

Dhabitah, having recovered from a back injury sustained during the SEA Games, is hoping to close the year on a high at Gold Coast.

“The Australian Diving GP is important to all of us as we want to gauge our chances in next year’s Commonwealth Games. This venue will also host the Games next year.

“I did not stop training after the SEA Games because I needed to prepare for the Malaysian GP (last month) and Australian GP. So I’m happy with my performance level,” said Dhabitah, who will also dive in the mixed 3m springboard synchro with Gabriel Gilbert Daim tomorrow.

Malaysia will not have a representative in the men’s 10m platform individual final tomorrow after youngster Jellson Jabillin could only finish fourth in the first semi-final with 322.35 points.

The Sarawak-born Jellson was eighth (339.60) in the preliminaries.

Teammate Muhd Syahmi Rezal failed to advance after placing 14th (253.05) in the preliminaries.


Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/sport/diving/2017/11/11/well-worth-a-gold-dhabitah-looks-good-for-glory-at-commonwealth-games/#kAmbdEehCj2gWjV2.99

The Star : Diver Syafiq set to make Commonwealth Games team after good performance in Australian GP

Tough competition: Muhd Syafiq Puteh in action in the 3m springboard individual final at the Australian Diving Grand Prix in Gold Coast

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PETALING JAYA: Muhd Syafiq Puteh looks set to make his Commonwealth Games debut in Gold Coast, Australia, next April after a superb start for Malaysia in the Australian Diving Grand Prix.

The 21-year-old outshone his experienced Olympian Ahmad Amsyar Azman by qualifying for tomorrow’s 3m springboard individual final at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre tomorrow.

Syafiq scored 363.10 points to grab the last spot from the second semi-final group behind Canadian Peter Mai (375.00) and China's Cao Yuan (412.80) yesterday.

Reigning world champion Xie Siyi of China topped the first semi-final group with 486.15 points, followed by 2016 Diving World Cup champion Yona Knight-Wisdom of Jamaica (412.20).


Amsyar was sixth in the first semi-final grouping, with 291.35 points, and missed out on a place in the top-six final.

In the earlier preliminaries, Syafiq, who partnered Jasmine Lai to win the mixed 3m springboard synchro at the KL SEA Games in August, did well to finish third (380.95) while Amsyar was 10th (352.65) .

National coach Yang Zhuliang was happy to see Syafiq pass the initial test at the same outdoor venue that will host the diving competitions for the Common-wealth Games next year.

“We brought the full team here for the Australian GP as we wanted them to get a feel of the conditions here before the Commonwealth Games.

“Syafiq performed very well today. I’m very happy he’s in the final considering the 3m springboard competition here is as tough as the world meet.

“I hope he can keep it up. He is ranked third among the Commonwealth countries and, if he keeps it up, he can get a medal,” said the Chinese coach.

In the women’s event, Pandelela Rinong and Kimberly Bong are also through to tomorrow’s women’s 10m platform individual final. Pandelela finished second (295.20pts) and Kimberly third (240.50pts) in the second semi-final group won by Australia’s Anna Rose Keating (297.10pts).

Australia’s 2012 Olympic silver medallist Brittany Brien (284.25), Canada’s Celina Toth (267.45) and Germany’s Christina Wassen (252.20) qualified from the first semi-final group.


Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/sport/diving/2017/11/10/hes-just-terrifiq-diver-set-to-make-cwealth-games-team-after-good-performance-in-australian-gp/#fMtvZTG2XKPWb8lI.99