Leong Mun Yee and Pandelela Rinong put a lean year for Malaysian diving behind them by winning a silver medal in the women’s synchronised 10m platform at the World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea on Sunday.
The Malaysian pair totalled 312.72 points to finish second to China’s Lu Wei and Zhang Jiaqi, who led from start to finish with 345.24 points, as well as confirm a berth in the event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Americans Samantha Bromberg and Katrina Young claimed the bronze medal on 304.86.
This is Malaysia’s sixth medal in the history of the World Aquatics Championships – all through diving – and the fourth in the women’s synchronised platform.
Pandelela, in winning her fifth World Championships medal, had previously partnered Mun Yee to bronze medals in 2009 and 2013 and Cheong Jun Hoong in 2017 in the synchronised platform as well as an individual 10m platform bronze in 2015.
The Malaysians were running third after three dives but moved up a spot with a fourth dive of 3.2 degree of difficulty for 74.88 points – their best in the series – as Meaghen Benfeito and Caeli McKay of Canada slipped off the podium places.
Mun Yee and Pandelela then held of the United States pair of Bromberg-Young with a final dive of 71.04 points to secure the silver medal and an Olympic spot.