KUALA LUMPUR: Youngsters Elvis Priestly Clement and Enrique Maccartney Harold made a splash in their first tournament of the year by winning their pet event at the national diving trials.
Fresh off their emphatic victory in the men’s 10m synchronised platform in Bukit Jalil yesterday, the duo have already set their sights on a podium finish at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The pair from Sarawak topped the event with a score of 380.64 points, finishing comfortably ahead of compatriots Jared Aiden Harold-Bertrand Rhodict Lises (365.97) and Awang Sharzan Zaqwan-Rayyan Hijri (273.96).
Their winning total also surpassed the MQS (Minimum Qualifying Score) of 360, putting them in strong contention for selection to the Asian Games squad.
Elvis said they were determined to clear the MQS in their very first competition for this year.
“We are not only eyeing an Asian Games ticket but we want to bring back an Asiad medal,” said Enrique, who was a double gold medallist at the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Kuching last year.
“This competition is part of our preparation. We know we can do better in the next one,” he said.
Their season build-up had not been smooth after a World Cup leg in Mexico was cancelled due to security concerns in February, disrupting their preparations.
“I feel satisfied with today’s competition because this is only our first one of the year although our scores could be better.
“The World Cup in Mexico was cancelled, so this is where we tested ourselves and I think we did our best.
“We have another competition coming up, the Malaysian International Age Group at Sarawak in three weeks, so we will try to do better there.”
Elvis sees the result as a timely boost to his confidence having recovered from a minor injury setback recently.
“Before this, I had a small injury but this competition helped me regain my confidence,” he said.
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