KUALA LUMPUR: Divers Cheong Jun Hoong and Pandelela Rinong have proved that they are still capable of carrying Malaysia’s flag at world level.
This was evident from their performances in the FINA World Diving Series this season.
Their gold medal at the third leg of the World Series in Montreal, Canada, last month, has given hope to Malaysia’s chances of upstaging China’s big guns at Olympic level.
Despite China’s unrivalled prowess in diving, Jun Hoong showed that the Great Wall can be cracked, when she won gold at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, last year.
But can Jun Hoong win the individual 10m platform gold at the World Cup in Wuhan, China on June 5-10? As it is, her solo performance hasn’t been convincing in the World Series.
Jun Hoong declined to reveal her World Cup target but said winning one gold, one silver and two bronze medals at the World Series isn’t exactly disappointing.
“It’s not that bad. We managed to finish with a medal in all the legs of the World Series.
“It’s a positive improvement for both of us,” said Jun Hoong.
Pandelela echoed Jun Hoong’s sentiments after displaying consistency in the World Series.
“I am thankful and happy because for the first time, we won a medal in every single leg of the World Series,” said Pandelela.
National coach Zhang Yukun said the Malaysian divers will be back to training in Guangzhou, China and subsequently to Wuhan for the World Cup.