TAKES A DIVE
Waning performance puts doubt in her Budapest bronze hopes
AJITPAL SINGH repeat her bronze medal feat in the women’s 10m platform individual at the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest on July 14-22.
The two-time Olympic medallist struggled to finish sixth in the final leg of the World Series in Windsor, Canada on Saturday.
Pandelela recorded 345.55 points and this is the second straight season she has failed to win an individual medal in the invitation-only series.
Rio Olympic silver medallist Si Yajie of China won the event with 390.60 points, followed by Australian Melissa Wu on 384.00. China’s Ren Qian, the reigning Olympic champion, took third spot with a 360.70 total.
Pandelela, who won silver in the platform synchro with Nur Dhabitah Sabri on Friday, also made the final and finished sixth with 325.70 points in the previous leg in Kazan, Russia.
The Sarawakian’s next major assignment will be the world meet in Budapest. She needs to up her performance if she hopes to finish on the podium again.
The 24-year-old bagged Malaysia’s first-ever individual medal at the last World Championships in Kazan two years ago.
Coach Yang Zhuliang said Pandelela did her best in Windsor but it was not good enough for a podium finish.
“At this level, she has to score above 80 points for the optional dives to win a medal. Her highest score was 72.00,” said Zhuliang yesterday.
“We will go to China for training soon, where she will have quality time to work on her routines.”