Bryan-Huang Qiang make it to top 10 in world rankings

PETALING JAYA: All it took was just three tournaments for the newly-paired Malaysian duo of Huang Qiang and Bryan Nickson Lomas to find their way into the top 10 in the world rankings.

Huang Qiang-Bryan are ranked seventh in the rankings for the men’s 3m springboard synchro on 37.33 points, thanks to back-to-back victories in the World Grand Prix legs in Canada and United States recently.
Germany (39.00), United States (39.33), Australia (39.33), Ukraine (39.33), Mexico (39.33), Russia (42.00) and China (43.33) are the countries ahead of Malaysia and it is certainly a good boost for Huang Qiang-Bryan as they seek to do well at the London Olympics.

Only the three best results, starting with the World Championships in Shanghai last year, are taken into account for the rankings.

Malaysia did not even field a pair for the discipline at the world meet last year and it is certainly a feather in the cap for the dynamic duo to do so well after starting from scratch.

Huang Qiang-Bryan were first paired together for the London World Cup in February and they got it right by nailing an Olympic spot for the country en route to taking the bronze medal.

Huang Qiang-Bryan had the satisfastion of finishing ahead of reigning Commonwealth Games champions Rueben Ross-Alexandre Despatie in their own backyard in the Canadian Open in Montreal in their first World Grand Prix outing.

The pair showed their potential again by striking gold in the USA Diving Grand Prix in Fort Lauderdale last Saturday ahead of 2009 World Championships silver medallist Americans Kristian Ipsen-Troy Dumais. Bryan did not expect to break into the top 10 in such a short time.

“The coach wanted us to get the exposure in front of the judges as they are also going to be there at the Olympics and to practise our moves at the same time.
“We got the consistency in place but we can’t be too overconfident as the top pairs from China, Russia and Ukraine did not compete.

“The Olympics will be the biggest challenge but there is a chance to get a medal if we repeat our World Cup performance,” said Bryan, who is ranked 15th in the men’s 10m platform individual rankings.
National Sportswoman of the Year Pandelela Rinong is placed fifth in the 10m platform individual on 37.67 points with Olympic champion Chen Ruolin of China perched firmly on top with 43.33.

Pandelela finished runner-up in the four-leg Diving World Series recently and claimed her first gold medal in Montreal.

However, she did not compete in the individual discipline in Fort Lauderdale.
Pandelela-Leong Mun Yee remained sixth in the women’s 10m platform synchro after finishing fifth in Montreal and Fort Lauderdale.



THE STAR