Asian Games: Pandelela wins bronze in individual event after 13 years

HANGZHOU - Malaysian diving queen Datuk Pandelela Rinong clinched a bronze medal in the women’s 10m platform at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games today, her second in the Asian Games after having won a bronze at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou in the same event, 13 years ago.

For Pandelela who is making her fourth appearence in the Asiad, it was also her second bronze at this year’s Asian Games after finishing third in the women’s 10m synchronised platform event with Nur Dhabitah Sabri last Saturday.

The Sarawakian finished third today with 280.50 points after a close battle with Japan’s Matsuri Arai at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Aquatic Sports Arena, behind Olympic champion Quan Hongchan who secured the gold with 438.20 points while her compatriot Chen Yuxi took the silver with 435.65 points.

Pandelela had also won a bronze medal in the 2014 Asian Games.

"I am a little surprised because I tried a few times to win a medal from an individual event in the Asian Games but failed, especially at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea while I was not able to compete in the 2018 Asian Games hosted by Indonesia in Jakarta-Palembang,” said the 30-year-old Pandelela who was in tears throughout the meeting with reporters after the event here today.

She added that she was not feeling well in the morning and forced herself to swallow a panadol while the National Sports Institute provided a massage to remain active for the final.

"I was having flu after the 10m synchronised platform event with Nur Dhabitah. I must also thank Nur because after winning a bronze already, I was able to compete without much pressure,” she said.

The bronze won by Pandelela saw the diving team contribute a silver and four bronze medals to the Malaysian contingent’s medal tally while diving events come to an end tomorrow. - BERNAMA