Dive too far for Malaysians

THERE was no Olympic cheer for Malaysia at the Aquatics Centre as Pandelela Rinong-Leong Mun Yee failed to live up to the hype in the women's 10m platform synchro final on Tuesday.

They succumbed to nerves, which is a common problem with Malaysian athletes, to finish seventh despite being in bronze medal position at one stage.

Pandelela Rinong-Leong Mun Yee finished seventh in the 10m platform synchro.

"We failed to perform and we are both hugely disappointed," said Pandelela, who had won the 2009 World Championships bronze with Mun Yee in the same event.

Mistakes littered their dives - especially the third to fifth attempts - and there was to be no coming back as the other divers were more consistent.

China's Chen Ruolin-Wang Hao were runaway winners, scoring a total 368.40 for the gold while Mexico's Alejandra Orozco Loza-Paola Espinosa Sanchez (343.32) took the silver. Bronze went to Canadians Roseline Filion-Meahgan Benfeito who scored 337.62.

Malaysia scored a 308.52 total.

Mun Yee's Olympics is over but Pandelela still has the 10m platform individual on Aug 8  to make amends.


VIJESH RAI - NST