Wendy gets to dive with three different partners

Diver Wendy Ng Yan Yee, who competed in the individual events at the Barcelona World Championships last year, will be been paired with three different partners in various important tournaments this year. - Filepic

KUALA LUMPUR: Diver Wendy Ng Yan Yee will have three different partners in her quest for glory this year.

Wendy will combine with rising star Dhabitah Nur Sabri for the 3m springboard synchro and with Traisie Vivien Tukiet in the 10m platform synchro in their bid to finish on the rostrum at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July.

But for the Diving World Series, which will kick off with the first of six legs in Beijing in March, Wendy is sticking to her regular partner Cheong Jun Hoong for the 3m springboard synchro.

Wendy enjoyed a breakthrough season with Jun Hoong in the prestigious Diving World Series last year, garnering three bronze medals in the 3m springboard synchro.

However, Wendy suffered a big blow as she was not picked for the syncro events at the World Championships in Barcelona. Jun Hoong was paired with Pandelela Rinong and the duo finished fifth. Jun Hoong also partnered Pandelela at the London Olympics in 2012.

The divers left for Guangzhou on Saturday and will spend Chinese New Year there next week as they go through a month long training stint.

This will allow head coach Yang Zhuliang the option to prepare two pairs for both springboard and platform synchro events at the Commonwealth Games.

Pandelela-Jun Hoong will remain as the country’s first pairing in the 3m springboard synchro. Pandelela will also double up for the 10m platform synchro as well with Leong Mun Yee.

Zhuliang felt opting for this will give Wendy the chance to prove her worth alongside the seniors.

“Both Pandelela and Jun Hoong have the same body structure. This is an important for synchro diving. But Wendy will not be left out.

“Each country can enter two pairs at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July.

“We have a good chance to get both medals for springboard and platform synchro events if we prepare

well.

“Wendy will train together with her new partners when we start our training in Guangzhou on Monday.

“But for the world series, Wendy will still be with Jun Hoong as they earned their spot in the first

place.”

The male divers going to Guangzhou are Ahmad Amsyar, Chew Yiwei, Mohd Danial Sabri, Mohd Nazreen, newcomer Sylvester Gaing and Myanmar SEA Games triple gold medallist Ooi Tze Liang.

The female divers are Pandelela, Trasie, Mun Yee, Jun Hoong, Wendy, Dhabitah, Loh Zhiayi, Adeline Chin, Kam Ling Kar and Jasmine Lai.

Zhuliang added Yiwei, Dhabitah, Ling Kar, Jasmine, Adeline and Trasie will go for the German Grand Prix in Rostock next month while Nazreen, Danial and Zhiayi have the Youth Olympic Games qualifiers in Guadalajara, Mexico, at the same time.

The seniors, meanwhile, will stay back for the first leg of the Diving World Series in Beijing from March 14-16.

“The China training stint is crucial for the divers to improvise on their dives without distractions. There are many competitions for the divers this year.

“Besides the Grand Prix and Diving World Series, the divers also have the World Cup (in Shanghai in July) and the Incheon Asian Games (in September),” said Zhuliang.