TOKYO: Malaysian diving ace Pandelela Rinong kept her medal hopes alive in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after qualifying for the women’s 10-metre (m) platform individual event final here today.
The 28-year-old accumulated 315.75 points from five dives to finish seventh in the semi-finals at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre here.
Pandelela, the 2021 Diving World Cup gold medallist, had scores of 67.50, 59.45, 68.80, 57.60 and 62.40 to remain in contention for her third consecutive Olympic medal.
Only the top 12 divers out of the 18 semi-finalists advanced to the final, which is scheduled to start at 3 pm local time (2 pm Malaysian time) later today.
China again topped the rankings as teenagers Quan Hongchan (415.65) and Chen Yuxi (407.75) made it a 1-2 finish in the sem-finals, with American Delaney Schnell (342.75) in third place.
Pandelela advanced to the semi-finals after finishing 18th in the preliminary round with 284.90 points on Wednesday (Aug 4) while compatriot Cheong Jun Hoong missed the top-18 cut after finishing 26th with 251.80 points.
Pandelela is the sole medal hopeful from the Malaysian diving camp after Pandelela-Leong Mun Yee came out last out of eight divers in the women’s 10m platform synchronised event on July 27, while Nur Dhabitah Sabri finished fourth in the women’s 3m springboard event on Sunday (Aug 1).
Pandelela is the first Malaysian woman to win an Olympic medal when she bagged the women’s 10m platform individual bronze at the 2012 London Games, before clinching the women’s 10m platform synchronised silver with Jun Hoong at the 2016 Rio Games. – Bernama
