PETALING JAYA: Nur Eilisha Rania Abrar Raj rued the missed bronze medal chance in her Asian Games debut after finishing fourth with veteran diver Pandelela Rinong in the women's 10m platform synchronised final at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
The pair scored 43.80, 40.20, 53.10, 66.99 and 43.20 for a five-dive total of 247.29 points.
China's Chen Yu Xi–Lu Wei romped to gold with 347.82 points while North Korea's Jo Jin Mi–Kim Mi Rae took silver with 317.64.
The Malaysians were just 29.61 points behind South Korea's Kim Na-hyun-Moon Na-yun, who snatched the bronze with 276.90.
After four dives, the Malaysian pair were close to the Koreans and needed a strong final dive to secure the bronze.
However, Pandelela-Eilisha put up a poor final dive.
Na-hyun-Na-yun, who is coached by former Malaysian technical director Bryan Nickson Lomas, clinched the bronze with a dive that scored 64.32 points.
It's the first time South Korea won a medal in the event while it's also the first time in 20 years Malaysia failed to finish on the podium.
The synchronised diving events made its Asian Games debut in Busan in 2002.
Pandelela, a two-time Olympic medallist, won bronze in the event with Nur Dhabitah Sabri at the last Asiad in Hangzhou three years ago. She also claimed silver with Leong Mun Yee at 2010 in Guangzhou and bronze in 2014 in Incheon.
Mun Yee partnered Dhabitah to win bronze at the 2018 Asiad in Indonesia.
RESULTS
Men
3m springboard synchronised: 1. Wang Zongyuan-Zheng Jiuyuan (Chn) 465.87, 2. Ikuma Senri-Suyama Haruki (Jpn) 355.56, 3. Nurqayyum Nazmi Mohd Nazim-Yong Rui Jie (Mas) 345.81.
Women
10m platform synchronised: 1. Chen Yuxi-Lu Wei (Chn) 347.82, 2. Jo Jin-mi-Kim Mi-rae (Prk) 317.64, 3. Kim Nah-yun-Moon Na-yun (Kor) 276.90, 4. Pandelela Rinong-Nur Eilisha Rania Abrar Raj (Mas) 247.29.
