State swimmers exceed expectations with two more gold
KOTA KINABALU: Triumphs in pool events gave Sabah two gold medals as the contingent went on to celebrate another fruitful day at the 19th Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Perak yesterday.
One of the gold medals came from diving and another from swimming but it was the one from Asian Games diver Jellson Jabillin which captured the hearts of many.
The 17-year-old student athlete from the Bukit Jalil Sports School chalked up 347 for a hard-earned win in the men’s 10m platform.
It was his second gold medal after winning an earlier one with teammate Gabriel Gilbert Daim in the men’s synchronised 3m springboard two days ago.
Jellson was in his element at the Tuanku Zara Aquatic Centre at the MBI Sports Complex in Ipoh, pulling a backward two-and-ahalf somersault with one-and-ahalf twist to score a high of 76.8 in his final dive.
Sarawak’s Enrique McCartney Harold was leading at the start but eventually settled for silver (329.90) after Jellson turned on the style to take control in the second and third dives.
However, disaster struck as Jellson splashed out in the fourth with a back three-and-a-half somersault tuck that he could not land as planned.
A mere 16.50 points from the judges put him down (on Enrique) by 24.95 points as the competition entered the penultimate dive.
Nonetheless, Jellson recovered well with an armstand back double somersault with one-anda-half twist to narrow the gap. It ultimately came down to the wire as he snatched victory in the final dive.
Betrand Rhodict Lises won the bronze for Sarawak with 314.35, while another Sabahan diver, Julfaddli Jali, finished sixth with 255.05 among a field of 10.
Jellson had to endure a painful ordeal before reaping the fruits of his labour after a shoulder injury caused difficulty to his entry technique since three days ago.
“He had been telling me about a pain in his right shoulder. It caused some problems for him in his early dives but somehow, he managed to block it out to get the finishing he needed to win the gold,” said team manager Anjelica Simpul.
“We were actually quite worried, especially when he landed badly in his 207B dive. He was in pain but everyone was around to cheer him on and I guess that was the motivation he needed to try and stay up there,” she added.
Anjelica congratulated Jellson and thanked Mohd Fadhli Md Yusop from the National Sports Institute for his massage treatment and taping which helped to ease Jellson’s pain from his injury.
The gold medal yesterday made it three for the dive squad thanks to the booster from Gabriel Gilbert Daim, who came up with a surprise win in the 3m springboard earlier in the week.
The two gold medals for Jellson was everything he had hoped for after coming away with silver in the same events at the previous Sukma in Sarawak two years ago.
There was also a bronze medal from the women’s synchronised 3m springboard, courtesy of Nur Ain Nadzmi and Nurfazriyanti Jali.
For the record, the Sabah Sports Council had set a target of one gold medal for the squad, which was exceeded with three gold and two bronze.
Meanwhile, Hollymax Bell created waves when he clocked 56.550s to win gold in the men’s 100m butterfly final.
It was Sabah’s first gold medal from swimming in the Games. The notion was certainly something to ponder as the contingent comes to terms with a shortage of talents, unlike in previous editions of Malaysia’s largest biennial sporting carnival where Sabahan swimmers reigned supreme.
But in the moment of success, every member of the state contingent present during Bell’s victory were all smiles, including Sabah Sports Board deputy general manager Asneh Mohd Noor.
Jordan Yip from Selangor (56.810s) and Penang’s Lim Yin Chuen (56.840s) won the silver and bronze medals respectively.
Team manager Daniel Lee was delighted with the surprise win saying: “We did not target any gold medal at these games but we managed to get one today so we are very happy.”
Sabah also bagged a silver medal in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay after clocking 9:05.850s from Federal Territory’s 9:02.010s. Selangor won the gold in 8:46.560s.
It was the same quartet comprising Cheng Ka Man, Chu Xin Ying, Loo Yie Bing and Wong Hsiao Thang that won the silver medal in the 4x100m freestyle on Wednesday.