KUALA LUMPUR: There is still hope for Malaysian diving to regain its status as among Asia's best.
Youngster Lee Yiat Qing raised some hope following the gloom surrounding the failure of the senior divers to qualify for the Paris Olympics by winning two gold medals at the Asian Age-Group Aquatics Championships in New Clark City, Philippines.
Yiat Qing emulated Pandelela Rinong's achievement in winning the girls' platform Group B (14-16 years) category in the diving competition, which ended today.
The 15-year-old amassed 254.00 points, with Nurul Farisya Alia securing the silver with 244.00. Taiwan's Jacqueline Liang took bronze with 236.75 points.
Yiat Qing grabbed her second gold with Dayang Nursharzyra in the 3m springboard synchro (14-18) with 197.34 points.
Kazakhstan's Anabella Kochkina-Diana Zhumagulova (187.53) and Vietnam's Hong Giang Bui Thi-Ngo Thi Thao (178.26) won silver and bronze, respectively.
Yiat Qing also bagged the 3m springboard Group B silver, earning 298.70 points behind China's Xie Jianyi (368.30).
Pandelela first grabbed attention in the platform discipline at the 2007 Jakarta edition.
Pandelela never looked back as she made her Olympic debut in Beijing the following year before claiming a historic bronze in the women's 10m individual platform in the 2012 London Games and silver with Cheong Jun Hoong in the platform synchro at the 2016 Rio edition.
So can Yiat Qing, a reigning Sea Games champion from Phnom Penh last year, replace Pandelela in the future?
However, Yiat Qing is not looking too far ahead but hopes to qualify for the Olympics one day.
"This is my first time competing in an Asian youth competition. I still have a lot to learn and improve.
"I am still new in the platform as I normally compete in springboard. I only started to train in platform a year ago.
"I want to compete in the Olympics one day, possibly in Los Angeles in 2028," said Yiat Qing.
MEDALLISTS
Gold: Lee Yiat Qing (girls' platform Group B), Lee Yiat Qing-Dayang Nursharzyra (girls' 3m springboard synchro), Donald Chen (boys' 1m springboard Group C), Megat Syakir Hashim (boys' 3m springboard Group C), Dayang Nursharzyra (girls' 1m springboard Group A).
Silver: Lee Yiat Qing (girls' 3m springboard Group B), Nurul Farisya Alia (girls' platform Group B), Lutfir Rahmam (boys' 1m springboard Group B), Lutfir Rahman (boys' 3m springboard Group B), Dayang Nursharzyra (girls' 3m springboard Group A), Dhuha Zulfikry (boys' 1,500m freestyle Group B).
Bronze: Lutfir Rahman (boys' platform Group B), Megat Syakir Hashim (boys' platform Group C), Jared Aiden (boys' 3m springboard Group B), Dhuha Zulfikry (boys' 400m freestyle Group B), Dhuha Zulfikry (boys' 200m freestyle Group B), Chong Xin Lin, Goh Li Jie, Cham Yu Xiang, Khew Zi Xian (mixed 4x100m medley Group B), Morgan Teo, Eleven Kai, Chong Xin Lin, Khew Zi Xian, Yoong Jia Jia (girls 4x100m freestyle Group B), Joelle Chan, Isabelle Chiyi, Mishya Khor, Lynna Yeow (girls 4x100m medley Group C), Hii Puong Wei (boys' 200m breaststroke Group A), Megan Ho (girls' 50m butterfly Group C).
