DIVING: Sacrifices pay off

Mun Yee eyes perfect swan song in London Olympics

   LEONG Mun Yee will emulate sailor Kevin Lim's record of four Olympics Games after  she qualified for the London edition in the women's 10-metre platform synchro along with Pandelela Rinong at the World Cup in London on Wednesday.
   Mun Yee, who featured in  Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and  Beijing 2008,  will  make her fourth and final appearance in London in July before she retires.

   The 27-year-old and Pandelela,  bronze medallists in the same event at the 2009 World Championships, finished seventh by earning 307.86 points but it was enough to earn one of the four quota Olympic spots.

   All hopes were on them to make an impact in the final after a blazing performance in the preliminaries where they finished third on 318.42.

   However, average dives in the third, fourth and fifth rounds saw them plunge  out of the medals.

   It is, however, still an excellent effort as most of the competing nations in London are focusing on  synchro disciplines.

   Malaysia have officially qualified for seven Olympic events through six divers --  Bryan Nickson Lomas (men's 10-metre platform individual; and 3m springboard individual and synchro), Yeoh Ken Nee (3m springboard individual), Huang Qiang (3m springboard synchro), Pandelela Rinong (women's 10m platform individual and synchro), Mun Yee (10m platform synchro) and Traisy Vivien Tukiet (10m platform individual).

   Mun Yee was close to tears after clinching her Olympic spot on Wednesday.

   "I have sacrificed so much for the sport since young. I even had to defer my semester  a few times over the years for competitions and finally my hard work has paid off," said Mun Yee,  a third year student with Universiti Putra Malaysia, when contacted in London on Wednesday.

   "I thought I wouldn't qualify for my fourth Olympic Games after failing to do well in previous qualifying competitions. Anyway, I have done well here.

   "I am the first local woman athlete to qualify for four straight Olympics.  It is quite an achievement but what is more memorable is that I have achieved something very few locals have managed."

   China's Chen Roulin-Hao Wang clinched the gold with a score of 359.58 followed by Canada's Roseline Filion-Meghan Benfeito (331.65) and Britain's Tonia Crouch-Sarah Barrow (314.40).

  "I think we have a good chance of challenging for a medal in London unlike in previous Olympics where I only made up the numbers. Pandelela and I have won medals in  major diving competitions except for the Olympics. We will train hard this time."

Read more: NST