Shazrin: rio just the right
OUR divers have again showed they can be depended on to deliver at the world stage.
From a bronze through Pandelela Rinong in the 2012 Olympics in London, diving stepped up to provide a silver in Rio through the women’s 10m platform synchro duo, this time through Pandelela and her partner Cheong Jun Hoong.
It was a masterstroke of diving coach Yang Zhuliang who opted to leave out the most experienced member, Leong Mun Yee, after Jun Hoong- Pandelela dived consistently to claim silver at the same outdoor venue during the Diving World Cup in Rio in February.
Zhuliang was convinced that Jun HoongPandelela would repeat the podium splash again in Rio. Jun Hoong- Pandelela did not disappoint as they grabbed the first ever synchro Olympic medal – and also the first for the Malaysian contingent in Rio on Aug 9.
The signs were already there for diving to deliver. Malaysia has bagged medals at the World Championships stage before this.
Pandelela then partnered Mun Yee to a historic first – a bronze in the 10m platform synchro at the 2009 world meet in Rome.
The duo repeated the feat in Barcelona in 2013 and it was Pandelela who stepped onto the podium for her first individual medal – bronze in the 10m platform in Kazan, Russia last year.
Amazingly, the rapid progress diving made as a medal contributor on the highest stage comes after just four Olympic cycles.
Before 1994, Malaysia had no facilities, no athletes and no history in in the sport except for a one- off participation at the 1971 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.
It is due to the Jaya ’ 98 programme ( to prepare athletes for the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games) which started in 1994.
Former National Sports Council ( NSC) director general Datuk Wira Mazlan Ahmad, who played a big part in the resurgence of diving, recalled that the involvement started with Chinese coach Li Juirong, who was attached to the Kuala Lumpur Amateur Swimming Association at that time being recruited to train a group of youngsters from scratch.
“We singled out diving for the Jaya ’ 98 programme as the sport suited small- built athletes. With a proper programme, we believed we could win medals in the 1998 Commonwealth Games.
“Diving started from scratch. We had to build facilities, including dry gyms and also introduce programmes in Perak, Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak, Sabah and Penang. One of the criteria in selecting divers was for them to leap from a 10m platform without showing any fear.
“We are talking about seven, eight- year olds being told to jump off a platform. Many were afraid but the ones who showed no fear were shortlisted for the next stage.
“We also realised divers spent more time developing their acrobatic skills on dry land rather than in the pool.”
After the basic facilities were in place in Cheras, more coaches from China were brought in and Malaysia managed to send divers – for the first time in 24 years – to the SEA Games in Chiangmai in 1995.
Malaysia returned home empty- handed from Chiangmai but hopes were raised when Farah Begum Abdullah won the country’s first- ever medal – a silver – in the Jakarta SEA Games two years later.
The breakthrough came in 1999 in Brunei when Yeoh Ken Nee and Farah claimed gold medals. Diving has not looked back since then as a major contributor for Malaysia in the SEA Games.
National divers made their Olympic debut in 2000 with four qualifying for Sydney. The divers followed up with three bronze at the Asian Games for the first time in Busan in 2002.
At the Commonwealth Games, 3m springboard specialist Ken Nee and the 10m platform synchro duo of Bryan Nickson Lomas- James Sandayud claimed historic silver medals in Melbourne 2006 for the first time.
Pandelela capped a major achievement when she won the country’s first Commonwealth Games gold medal in the 10m platform in New Delhi in 2010. Malaysia should thank Zhuliang for turning our divers into winners on the world stage despite the limitations.
“We still lack good facilities. This year we had to spent long periods in China because our usual venue in Bukit Jalil was closed for renovation.
“We do not have many options with our small number of divers and they have to train for more than one event.
“In China, there are at least 10 worldclass divers for each event. If the regular ones do not meet expectations, they are replaced immediately for the next major competition.
“With these restrictions, we have achieved so much and we hope we can get better,” added Zhuliang. OLYMPIC debutant Nur Shazrin Mohamad Latif is all smiles despite not making waves in Rio.
The teenager was placed 33rd out of 37 competitors in the women’s Laser radial.
Despite failing to reach her target of finishing as the best Asian sailor, Shazrin said she has returned home a lot wiser.
“Competing at the Olympics is really an eye- opener ... this invaluable experience will motivate me to work harder to seal a spot at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020,” said the Pekan local who was the youngest sailor in her event.
“The waves and wind in Rio is something that I have never experienced before and I’m glad I managed to complete all eight races. I’ll take this result in my stride.
“When you race against the world’s best you pick up some pointers such as the different techniques used by the other sailors and I will try to use it with the help of my coach.”
The Langkawi- based sailor became Malaysia’s first woman to compete in the event at the Olympics after winning a silver medal in her debut at the Asian Sailing Championships in Abu Dhabi last March.
Shazrin said she will next shift her focus to the 2016 Youth Sailing World Championships in Auckland from Dec 14- 20.
“This Olympic is just the beginning from me ... I learned a lot in Rio I will build on this experience to come back stronger.”