Amy Kwan ends eight-year wait for gold in rhythmic gymnastics
COLD COAST: The national gymnastics squad ended an eightyear gold drought yesterday after Amy Kwan Dict Weng clinched the gold medal in the individual ribbon event at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games (GC2018).
The last time Malaysia won a gold was through Elaine Koon in the individual hoop event at the 2010 edition in New Delhi.
Kwan, 23, said although Koon had now migrated to South Korea, the former national gymnast often gave her words of encouragement and support.
”We are very close as we went to the same school SJK (C) Yu Hua before going to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Serdang Baru and then the Bukit Jalil Sports School.
”Elaine (Koon) always gives me words of encouragement by saying that nothing is impossible for me to get a medal,” she said after her event at the Coomera Indoor Sports and Leisure Centre here.
On her victory, Kwan, who hails from Kajang, Selangor, said she was not expecting a gold medal after winning a bronze in the individual hoop event and only managed to finished in fourth place in the clubs.
”I was a bit disappointed after the clubs event as I had given my best performance but the coach (Lidia Legotina) boosted my spirit and wanted me to give my best for the country and myself. I bounced back to clinch the gold medal in the ribbon event,” she said.
Kwan topped the scoreboard with 13.20 points for the gold leaving Cyprus’s Diamanto Evripidou and compatriot Koi Sie Yan to settle for silver and bronze.
As for the individual hoop event, Diamanto clinched the gold medal and Laura Halford from Wales took the bronze.
Meanwhile, Kwan said right after the Commonwealth Games, she would continue with her training to prepare for the 10th Senior Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Championship, to be held in Kuala Lumpur from May 31 to June 3 before participating in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia in August. – Bernama