KUALA LUMPUR: Water skier Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah is hoping for one final hurrah in her last major event of the year, the World Waterski Championships in Lake County, Florida, which begins today.
The 20-year-old has already achieved stellar results in both of her major events this year – the Moomba Masters in March and the World Under-21 Championships in June.
Aaliyah, currently pursuing her tertiary education at Florida Southern College, made history by becoming the first Malaysian to win a medal at a world event, securing a bronze in the jump category at the World Under-21 meet.
With the open category world meet taking place on 'home grounds, Aaliyah aims to make another strong impression.
Balancing her studies with rigorous training, the reigning Asian champion and record holder remains realistic about her goals for the world meet.
"My target for this world meet is to achieve a personal best (PB) in jump or slalom," said Aaliyah.
"I'm not in the best condition to attempt a PB in tricks, as I am entering the fall semester exam period and need to focus on my studies.
"However, my physical condition is still good enough to aim for bettering my slalom and jump PBs."
"I do hope to perform well in tricks, as it would contribute to improving my International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) overall world ranking."
Aaliyah currently holds a PB of 8,080 in tricks, setting both a national and Asian record.
Her slalom record stands at 4.5/55/12, while she has shown significant improvement in jump, achieving a PB of 47.2m.
In her last open world meet held in Putrajaya in 2019, Aaliyah gained international recognition by reaching the final in the tricks category, where she eventually finished ninth.
Aaliyah's father and Malaysian Waterski and Wakeboard Federation (MWWF) head coach Hanifah Yoong said: "Aaliyah had already achieved her 2023 target by securing a bronze at the World Under-21 meet earlier this year.
"For the open world meet, the earliest chance for a medal finish would be in the jump category in 2025. Her realistic target is 2027, coinciding with Malaysia hosting the Sea Games again.
"She's determined to excel, and I believe she possesses the mental strength to deliver a surprise."
