A triumph of will
Huang Qiang: I want to experience the Olympics high for myself
THE craving was, at times, intolerable but former China national diving champion Huang Qiang refused to surrender as the dream to compete in the Olympics offered him a better high than nicotine.
Huang Qiang had not contemplated making a comeback to diving until the lure of the approaching 2012 London Olympics became irresistible. Huang Qiang, who had married a local three years ago, then put in a fresh application for citizenship so that he could represent Malaysia.
He gave up smoking and underwent a tough training regime to lose about 10kg in order to regain his fitness, despite not knowing what his prospects were.
“I didn’t know if my application would be successful at that point,” said Huang Qiang, who was signed on as a coach for the Malaysian diving squad in 2007.
“If the decision was delayed, I wouldn’t know whether I would still be eligible to compete in the London Olympics.
“The World Cup in London last month was the last qualifying competition. It would have been pointless if I got my citizenship but didn’t get a quota spot for the Olympics.
“I went through gruelling sessions to make myself fit again as I hadn’t dived for so long.
“I stopped smoking but it wasn’t that simple. The training wasn’t easy onmy body and I felt so groggy after going for two hours.
“But I was determined to pursue something that I still hadn’t achieved. It has always been my dream to compete in the Olympics.
“Many have told me that competing in the Olympics was a totally different feeling. I wanted to experience this myself.”
Huang Qiang was the poster boy of world diving when he won the Asian Games silver medal in Bangkok 1998 when he was only 16.
He won the World Cup title twice and was a strong gold medal contender for China at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the platform discipline.
He and partner Tian Liang were favoured to land the gold medal but an unexpected injury just days before they were supposed to leave for Sydney cruelly ended Huang Qiang’s dreams of glory.
Now a naturalised malaysian, he is set to partner Bryan Nickson Lomas in a bid to bag a historic Olympic medal at the London Games after a sterling performance at the World Cup last month.
The new pairing not only achieved their mission to secure a quota spot in the field of eight for the Olympic men’s 3m springboard synchro but also won a first-ever bronze medal in the process.
Huang Qiang is optimistic about their chances in the Olympics considering they went into the World Cup with the lowest degree of difficulties but found themselves only separated by 12 points from the winners, China’s reigning world champions Qin Kailuo Yutong.
“Apart from China, the rest are about the same standard, not separated by a huge points gap,” said Huang Qiang, who will be 30 next month.
“We have the lowest DD (degree of difficulties) among all the pairs but, given more time, we can get ourselves into better shape.
“But it is meaningless if you can’t perform consistently on competition day.
“I’m glad I was given the chance to dive to earn my place on merit.”
Huang Qiang does not see his return to competition interfering with his coaching duties.
“After all, it is the reason why I came to Malaysia in the first place,” he said.
“It isn’t a problem for me as I can watch them train first, then do my diving later.
“It’s actually better this way as Bryan and I can communicate more.”
And Bryan, who is also eyeing a breakthrough in the 10m platform individual, does not need to seek inspiration elsewhere as he dreams of Olympic glory.
His new partner is, after all, his own coach who knows him best.