New pair of Muhamamd Syafiq-Tze Liang contributes diving camp's second bronze

HANGZHOU - The national diving camp added another bronze medal through the combination of Muhammad Syafiq Puteh-Ooi Tze Liang in the men’s synchronised 3-metre springboard at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games here tonight.

The podium finish is an improvement in the event from the 2018 outing in Jakarta-Palembang, Indonesia by Tze Liang-Chew Yiwei who ended in fourth place.

In the final at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Aquatic Sports Arena, here, Muhammad Syafiq-Tze Liang who just started pairing was in fourth place until the third dive with 163.50 points.

Capitalising on a mistake of Japan’s divers, the national pair took the third spot to clinch the bronze by amassing 380.22 points after six dives.

The gold went to the host pair of Yan Siyu-He Chao who were in a class of their own with 422.55 points while South Koreans, Yi Jaegyeong-Woo Haram took the silver with 393.00 points.

For the record, Malaysia won silver in the event in three consecutive editions since 2006 in Doha, Qatar through Rossharisham Roslan-Yeoh Ken Nee followed by the 2010 edition in Guangzhou, China (Bryan Nickson-Ken Nee) and 2014 in Incheon, South Korea ( Ahmad Amsyar Azman-Tze Liang).

The silver medal is Malaysia's best achievement after China dominated the event since it was contested since the 2002 edition in Busan, South Korea.

Muhammad Syafiq and Tze Liang will each continue the challenge in the men's 3m springboard event scheduled to start next Tuesday (Oct 3).

Earlier, the pair of Datuk Pandelela Rinong-Nur Dhabitah Sabri presented the first medal of the national diving camp after clinching bronze in the women's 10m synchronised platform event. - BERNAMA