TOKYO: Malaysian diving ace Pandelela Rinong kept her medal hopes alive in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after qualifying for the women’s 10m platform final today.
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The 28-year-old accumulated 315.75 points from five dives to finish seventh in the semifinals at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
Pandelela, the 2021 Diving World Cup gold medallist, had scores of 67.50, 59.45, 68.80, 57.60 and 62.40 to remain in contention for her third consecutive Olympic medal.
Only the top 12 divers out of the 18 semifinalists advanced to the final, which is scheduled for 2pm later today.
China again topped the rankings as teenagers Quan Hongchan (415.65) and Chen Yuxi (407.75) made it a 1-2 finish in the semifinals, with American Delaney Schnell (342.75) in third place.
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Pandelela advanced to today’s semifinals after finishing 18th in the preliminary round with 284.90 points yesterday, while Cheong Jun Hoong missed the cut after finishing 26th with 251.80 points.
Pandelela is the sole medal hopeful from the Malaysian diving camp after she and Leong Mun Yee came in last in the 10m platform synchro on July 27, while Nur Dhabitah Sabri finished a respectable fourth in the 3m springboard on Sunday.
Pandelela is the first Malaysian woman to win an Olympic medal when she bagged the women’s 10m platform individual bronze at the 2012 London Games, before clinching the women’s 10m platform synchro silver with Jun Hoong in Rio four years later.-BERNAMA