Tze Liang-Yiwei improve with 11th spot finish, Pandelela starts off well in Budapest

KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 (Bernama) -- Malaysian diving pair Ooi Tze Liang-Chew Yiwei improved on their performance at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships after finishing 11th in the men’s 3-metre synchronised springboard final in Budapest, Hungary tonight.

In the competition at the Duna Arena, Tze Liang-Yiwei, who are 31st SEA Games gold medallists, performed consistently, but only managed to collect 337.83 points to finish in the second-last position, according to the official FINA website.

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games gold medallists Wang Zongyuan-Cao Yuan from China topped the action with 459.18 points to win gold.

Great Britain's Jack Laugher-Anthony Harding took home the silver after grabbing 451.71 points while Lars Rudiger-Timo Barthel of Germany bagged the bronze with 406.44 points.

At the 2019 World Championships in South Korea, Tze Liang-Yiwei ended in last place out of 12 pairs.

Meanwhile, national diving queen Datuk Pandelela Rinong started well when she finished in the top four of the individual women's 10-metre platform qualifying round.

The 29-year-old diver collected 332.10 points from five dives to perch in fourth place out of a total of 33 divers and qualify for the semi-finals tomorrow.

The 16-year-old 2019 world champion and 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Chen Yuxi of China topped the round after scoring 413.95 points while her 15-year-old compatriot and Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Quan Hongchan finished in second place with 410.85 points.

Ingrid Oliveira of Brazil came in third after collecting 340.70 points.

Pandelela, who won a gold medal at the 2021 World Cup diving tournament in Tokyo, is the most senior diver in the women's 10m platform event in Budapest.

In the 2019 edition, Pandelela finished fifth in the 10m platform event, but took home silver in the women's 10m platform synchronised event with her partner Datuk Leong Mun Yee.

-- BERNAMA