Malaysian divers deliver yet again in SEA Games (updated)

Golden girls and boy. The Malaysian divers (from left): Leong Mun Yee, Ooi Tze Liang and Traisy Vivien Tukiet pose with their gold medal at the Singapore SEA Games on Sunday. - BERNAMA

SINGAPORE: Leong Mun Yee collected her 15th SEA Games gold medal after she partnered Traisy Vivien Tukiet to win the women's 10m platform synchro at the OCBC Aquatics Centre.

Mun Yee-Traisy finished the five-dive competition with 306.66 points ahead of Singapore’s Myra Lee-Freida Lim (238.59) and Thailand’s Jiratchaya Yothongyos-Surincha Booranapol (222.12) to take Malaysia's golden tally in diving to four.

Earlier, Commonwealth Games champion Ooi Tze Liang posted 473.55 points to retain his 3m springboard individual title. It was the second gold for Tze Liang, who partnered Chew Yiwei to win the 10m platform synchro on Saturday.

The 30-year-old Mun Yee, Malaysia’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony on Friday, and Tze Liang were whisked off after the prize presentation ceremony as head coach Yang Zhuliang refused to talk to the press.

But team manager Mae Chen later brought Traisy out to be interviewed.

Traisy was pleased to defend the 10m platform synchro gold for Malaysia.

Mun Yee partnered Nur Dhabitah Sabri to win the event at the last Games in Myanmar two years ago.

"I was nervous and afraid that I might disappoint my coach. But thankfully, I didn't do anything silly and we got the gold in the end," said Sarawak-born Traisy, who also paid tribute to Mun Yee for her guidance.

"This is my second SEA Games gold. I partnered Mun Yee to win the 10m platform synchro in Indonesia in 2011. She is very calm. I learn a lot from her as she has competed in many SEA Games,” said the 21-year-old Traisy, who competed in the 10m platform individual at the 2012 London Olympics.

Mun Yee made her SEA Games debut in Jakarta in 1997, but she only won her first medal in Brunei two years later by taking the silver behind compatriot Farah Begum Abdullah in the 3m springboard individual.

Mun Yee finally ended her gold drought in the 2001 Games in Kuala Lumpur. She was a revelation with a four-gold performance, winning the 3m springboard individual and synchro and the 10m platform individual and synchro. She defended her 10m platform individual title in Vietnam two years later.

Mun Yee then contributed two golds each in the next four Games in Manila (2005), Thailand (2007), Laos (2009) and Indonesia (2011).