Uphill task

Pandelela needs to step up to mount podium at world meet

PETALING JAYA: Pandelela Rinong (pic) faces an uphill task to repeat her bronze medal act in the 10m platform individual at the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, from July 14-22 if her performance in the just-concluded Diving World Series is anything to go by.

The 24-year-old Sarawakian struggled with her consistency and could only manage sixth in the final leg of the Diving World Series in Windsor, Canada, on Saturday.

The two-time Olympic medallist scored 345.55 points and it’s the second straight year she did not win an individual medal in the invitation-only series.

Australia’s Melissa Wu split the two top Chinese divers to take the silver with 384.00 points. Olympic silver medallist Si Yajie won with 390.60 points while Olympic champion Ren Qian settled for the bronze with a 360.70 total.

Pandelela, who partnered youngster Nur Dhabitah Sabri to bag the silver in the 10m platform synchro on Friday, also finished sixth with 325.70 points in the previous leg in Kazan, Russia, earlier this month.

Pandelela’s next major assignment is the World Championships and she has to raise her game if she harbours hopes of finishing on the podium for the 10m platform individual.

The Sarawakian bagged her first-ever individual medal – a bronze – at the last worlds in Kazan two years ago.

In a telephone interview from Windsor, national coach Yang Zhuliang said Pandelela tried her best but it was not good enough to win a medal.

“At world level, she needs to score above 80 for the optional dives to get a medal. Her highest score for the fifth dive here was 72.00.

“Pandelela is on the same difficulty level with the other top divers.

“We will return to China for training soon as she needs quality time to work on her dives.

“We have been travelling so often that there’s hardly time to concentrate on training.

“Hopefully she will do better at the World Championships,” said Zhuliang.

Jack Laugher, who won Britain’s first Olympic diving gold with Chris Mears in the 3m springboard synchro in Rio, won the men’s 3m springboard individual title with 567.15 points.

It was the second triumph for Laugher as he was also the winner of the opening leg in Beijing last month.