PETALING JAYA: Swimmer Khoo Cai Lin was down in the dumps just a few days ago.
Now though she is all smiles after finding out that she will be going to the London Olympics, after all.
Malaysia will be represented in swimming at the London Olympics as Cai Lin has received an invite from FINA, the world governing body for aquatics, for the women’s 800m freestyle.
None of the six Malaysian swimmers – Cai Lin, Siow Yi Ting, Christina Loh, Chui Lai Kwan, Kevin Yeap and Yap See Tuan – made the cut when FINA released the top six qualifiers under the Olympic selection time (previously known as B time) for the 26 individual disciplines.
The swimmers would have automatically qualified for previous Olympics but the qualifying system has been changed as FINA wanted to limit the field to 900.
Sports ambassadors: (From left) Swimmer Khoo Cai Lin, footballer Mohd Zaquan Adha, cyclist Mohd Aidil Zafuan Abd Radzak and squash player Low Wee Wern posing with Herbalife Malaysia general manager K.R. Sridhar after signing new contracts with the company Wednesday. — Bernama A total of 453 swimmers are already going under the Olympic qualifying time (previously known as A time) and that does not include the swimmers for the relay events and another 150 wildcard slots.
And Cai Lin is relieved that the hard work she has put in during training has not been in vain.
“None of us got in when the list came out last Friday and I thought that was it,” she said
“Then I heard the closing date was extended to July 9 and I was stressed out waiting for the outcome.
“Then I found out late last night that I’m in. I’m so happy as this will be my second Olympics.
“I hope I will not be alone and we can have more as we did not stop training,” added Cai Lin, who was among five swimmers who competed at the Beijing Olympics four years ago.
South-East Asia thus have a total of eight swimmers who qualified on merit (four from Singapore and one each from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia).
It was also a day of double joy for Cai Lin when her contract as one of the sporting ambassadors with Herbalife was extended for another year yesterday.
Meanwhile, Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (Asum) secretary Edwin Chong said they had accepted the invitation from FINA.
“Some countries did not accept invitations for a particular discipline so FINA invited the next best ranked swimmer,” he said.
“Cai Lin’s time must have been in the top 10 rankings list under the Olympic selection time and we had to reply within two days.
“There is still a glimmer of hope to get one more swimmer onboard, perhaps Siow Yi Ting in the 100m breaststroke as she is also ranked inside the top 10.”
Besides swimming, Malaysia have a big representation in aquatics this time.
Diving boasts the biggest group, with eight divers competing in seven out of eight events. And they will be led by World Series runner-up Pandelela Rinong, who will also be the first woman to carry the Malaysian flag in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics on July 27,
Double SEA Games gold medallist Heidi Gan will be the first Malaysian to compete in the 10km open water swimming at the Olympics.
Meanwhile, Herbalife has also ex-tended the contracts of Low Wee Wern (squash), Azizulhasni Awang (cycling) and twins Aidil Zafuan and Zaquan Adha Abdul Razak (football) as its sports ambassadors for another year
- THE STAR
Now though she is all smiles after finding out that she will be going to the London Olympics, after all.
Malaysia will be represented in swimming at the London Olympics as Cai Lin has received an invite from FINA, the world governing body for aquatics, for the women’s 800m freestyle.
None of the six Malaysian swimmers – Cai Lin, Siow Yi Ting, Christina Loh, Chui Lai Kwan, Kevin Yeap and Yap See Tuan – made the cut when FINA released the top six qualifiers under the Olympic selection time (previously known as B time) for the 26 individual disciplines.
The swimmers would have automatically qualified for previous Olympics but the qualifying system has been changed as FINA wanted to limit the field to 900.
Sports ambassadors: (From left) Swimmer Khoo Cai Lin, footballer Mohd Zaquan Adha, cyclist Mohd Aidil Zafuan Abd Radzak and squash player Low Wee Wern posing with Herbalife Malaysia general manager K.R. Sridhar after signing new contracts with the company Wednesday. — BernamaAnd Cai Lin is relieved that the hard work she has put in during training has not been in vain.
“None of us got in when the list came out last Friday and I thought that was it,” she said
“Then I heard the closing date was extended to July 9 and I was stressed out waiting for the outcome.
“Then I found out late last night that I’m in. I’m so happy as this will be my second Olympics.
“I hope I will not be alone and we can have more as we did not stop training,” added Cai Lin, who was among five swimmers who competed at the Beijing Olympics four years ago.
South-East Asia thus have a total of eight swimmers who qualified on merit (four from Singapore and one each from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia).
It was also a day of double joy for Cai Lin when her contract as one of the sporting ambassadors with Herbalife was extended for another year yesterday.
Meanwhile, Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (Asum) secretary Edwin Chong said they had accepted the invitation from FINA.
“Some countries did not accept invitations for a particular discipline so FINA invited the next best ranked swimmer,” he said.
“Cai Lin’s time must have been in the top 10 rankings list under the Olympic selection time and we had to reply within two days.
“There is still a glimmer of hope to get one more swimmer onboard, perhaps Siow Yi Ting in the 100m breaststroke as she is also ranked inside the top 10.”
Besides swimming, Malaysia have a big representation in aquatics this time.
Diving boasts the biggest group, with eight divers competing in seven out of eight events. And they will be led by World Series runner-up Pandelela Rinong, who will also be the first woman to carry the Malaysian flag in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics on July 27,
Double SEA Games gold medallist Heidi Gan will be the first Malaysian to compete in the 10km open water swimming at the Olympics.
Meanwhile, Herbalife has also ex-tended the contracts of Low Wee Wern (squash), Azizulhasni Awang (cycling) and twins Aidil Zafuan and Zaquan Adha Abdul Razak (football) as its sports ambassadors for another year
- THE STAR
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