KUALA LUMPUR: The 1m springboard may not be an Olympic event, but the Malaysian divers could end up with battered pride after a terrible start at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, today.
The 1m event, which was the first to get underway at the world meet, saw a total of 63 divers competing with only the top 12 advancing to the final.
And the Malaysian duo of Hanis Nazirul Jaya Surya and Gabriel Gilbert Daim were both way off the mark as they finished in 51st (250.10 points) and 53rd (242.95) position respectively at the end of the six-dive preliminary competition.
To rub salt into the wound, both Hanis and Gabriel fared worse than Singaporean newcomer Avvir Tham.
The 18-year-old Avvir, who was making his world meet debut, managed to place 34th with 291.65.
China's Peng Jianfeng, the reigning Asian Games champion and 2017 world champion in the 1m springboard, topped the preliminaries with 403.75.
Mexican Osmar Olvera Ibarra came in second best in the preliminaries with 395.85 ahead of Britain's Christopher Houlden (374.90) while Australia's Li Shixin claimed fourth place with 374.50 ahead of China's newcomer Zheng Jiuyuan (371.65).
It was just as bad for Malaysia in the women's 1m springboard preliminary competition.
Ong Ker Ying finished 35th with 204.30 after the five-dive competition while debutant Kimberly Bong placed last in the field of 44 participants with 178.40.
Indonesia's Gladies Lariesa Garina was the surprise top finisher from Southeast Asia at 22nd with 226.55.
Gladies was the silver medallist behind Kimberly in the women's 3m springboard at the Phnom Penh Sea Games in May.
Former Youth Olympics champion Shan Lin led a China 1-2 finish in the preliminary rounds with 291.25 ahead of compatriot Li Yajie (283.35). Mexican Aranza Vazquez Montano was third with 262.20.
Malaysia will be hoping for better fortunes from Ooi Tze Liang, who will combine with Syafiq Puteh in the men's 3m springboard synchro final which gets underway on Saturday.
Also in action is Jellson Jabillin who will team up with Nur Eilisha Rania in the mixed 10m platform synchro competition.
