Say cheese!: Wendy Ng Yan Yee-Nur Dhabitah Sabri posing for a wefie with gold medallists Australia’s Maddison Keeney and Anabelle Luce Smith and bronze medallists Canada’s Margo Claire Erlam and Mia Jolie Doucet Vallee. — Reuters
THERE was only one thing running on Wendy Ng Yan Yee’s mind as she and her partner Nur Dhabitah Sabri stared at the scoreboard after they finished their fifth dive at the top.
Will others beat their mark?
They were the first pair to finish their last dive in the women’s 3m springboard synchro final and had to endure a tense wait to see if the 299.85 points total finish was enough to put them on the podium at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre yesterday.
But thankfully, only the Australians Maddison Keeney-Anabelle Smith, the bronze medallists at the world championships in Budapest recently, managed to overtake them for the gold with 316.53 points.
Tears welled up in Wendy’s eyes as teammate Dhabitah consoled her as they were confirmed as the silver medallists after Canada’s Margo Claire Erlam-Mia Vallee rounded up the podium with 297.00 points.
The silver is the first Commonwealth Games medal for Wendy and also Malaysia’s best achievement in the women’s 3m springboard synchro event.
Dhabitah partnered Leong Mun Yee, serving now as the team manager in Birmingham, to take bronze in Gold Coast, Australia, four years ago.
“I’ve had no luck in three previous Commonwealth Games and I was getting frustrated as I was not getting any younger also,” said Wendy.
“I think my best finish was fourth in the women’s 3m springboard individual in Glasgow (2014) but this was my best chance to get it right. I was only thinking, please, any medal for me is good already.
“Honestly, I just don’t know what to say now. I am just grateful I did everything right and so did Dhabitah.
“I tried to relax and not think too much about the pressure to get a medal for Malaysia,” said Wendy, who turned 29 on July 11 and is the second most experienced diver after two-time Olympic Games medallist Pandelela Rinong in the national team.
Wendy-Dhabitah improved to silver position after the second dive and held on to take the second medal for Malaysia in the diving competition.
Mohd Syafiq Puteh-Gabriel Gilbert Daim won the first silver in the men’s 3m springboard synchro on Friday.
Wendy will feature in the women’s 3m springboard individual and mixed 3m springboard synchro with Gabriel Gilbert Daim.
Ooi Tze Liang made the top 12 final for the men’s 3m springboard individual earlier with a six-dive total of 394.85 points.
Tze Liang was the winner of the event at the 2014 edition in Glasgow. Australia’s Li Shixin topped the preliminaries with 456.65 points ahead of Jamaica’s Yona Roshen Knight-Wisdom (446.85) and Daniel Goodfellow of England (430.05).
