KUALA LUMPUR: Ooi Tze Liang has yet to hit top form ahead of February's all-important Doha World Championships but that did not stop him from bagging gold at the inaugural Malaysia Open Diving Championships today.
Tze Liang claimed a comfortable win in the men's 3m individual springboard event after scoring a combined 418.80 in the final at the National Aquatics Centre in Bukit Jalil.
Uzbekistan's Vyacheslav Kachanov claimed the silver on 379.05 while Yong Rui Jie (368.15) completed the podium.
Tze Liang said he was satisfied with his performance considering the circumstances.
The 29-year-old won bronze in the men's 3m springboard synchronised event with partner Syafiq Puteh at the Hangzhou Asian Games last month.
"We (elite divers) are currently in our off season after coming back from the Asian Games so we haven't been training as much as usual," said Tze Liang.
"I would say that my performance today were satisfactory considering the circumstances.
"When the opportunity (to compete) comes I always try to compete."
Tze Liang disclosed that preparations for the Doha World Championships will go into full swing after the Malaysia Open ends on Monday.
"The goal is to do well in Doha and place in the top-18, essentially those who make the semi-finals will qualify on merit for the Paris Olympics," he added.
"Physically, I'm happy with my condition and am injury-free. The goals is to improve on my consistency."
The mixed team event (mixed 3m and 10m) held earlier today witnessed Sarawak's Dayang Nurharzyra Awang Nasaruddin, Nurul Farisya Affendi, Elvis Priestly Clement and Jared Aiden Harold taking gold on 335.80.
They upset a second-string national team comprised of Elisha Rania Rajagopal, Wendy Ng, Hanis Nazirul Jaya Surya and Jellson Jabillin who scored 314.40. Only two teams competed in the event.
Farisya also won the women's 10m platform individual gold after scoring 212.15 in the final to beat Lee Yiat Qing (197.30). Only two divers competed in the event.