SHOWS HER CLASS
THEY came to watch the world champion in action yesterday, from royalty to the rakyat. Fans packed the National Aquatics Centre in Bukit Jalil, with many more denied entry as tickets were sold out.
On the VIP stand were Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah and his consort Raja Permaisuri Perak Tuanku Zara Salim and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
Though Cheong Jun Hoong is a world champion in the 10m platform, she admitted the pressure of performing in front of her home crowd almost got to her.
“I started my career at the Sea Games level and there never was any pressure on me.
“But today, when I saw the full gallery and the VIP stand, the pressure was simply too much for me,” admitted Jun THE national rhythmic gymnastics squad added another two gold to their haul on the second day of the competition at the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games (KL2017) yesterday.
Koi Sie Yan successfully defended her individual all-around gold with Amy Kwan Dict Weng taking silver for a Malaysia 1-2 at the Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre.
Amira Sofiya Amirul Fares, Chan Mei Thung, Koh Jie Yi, Tee Wei Qi, Tee Wei Wen and Thew Yue Jia then delivered the team hoops gold with an impressive 16.060 score.
Singapore (14.400) and Philippines Hoong.
“My old back injury was also acting up. I can’t do anything to make it go away, just rehabilitation to minimise the pain.
“All these factors combined to add to the pressure,” she said.
Nonetheless, Jun Hoong was in a class of her own as Malaysia picked up two more gold medals in diving yesterday.
Jun Hoong won the women’s 1m springboard gold with 268.55 points while teammate Jasmine Lai Pui Yee took silver on 233 points.
In the men’s 10m platform, Ooi Tze Liang won gold on 442.65 points, while team-mate Chew Yiwei bagged silver on 412.75 points.
Even though Jun Hoong won gold, she said the score could have been better. (10.650) took silver and bronze respectively.
Team captain Mei Thung said the gold made all their hard work in training for KL2017 worthwhile.
“We gave it everything we had as we wanted to make sure all the hard work we had put in over the past year did not go to waste,” said Mei Thung.
“I believe all of us did well today. Winning the gold definitely means a lot to us.” National gymnasts are expected grab the lion’s share of the five gold up for grabs on the final day of the competition today. Aida Adilah Mat and Naqib Nor Said “The score is still low compared to the marks in the Asian and Commonwealth Games. So, I need to tighten up my routine a little more when I compete there,” said Jun Hoong.
She won the women’s 10m platform gold on 397.50 points at the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest recently.