KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 (Bernama) -- National diver Nur Dhabitah Sabri can make up for the disappointment at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games by displaying the potential to rise again at the Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) edition.
National diving squad technical director Bryan Nickson Lomas said the age factor is not an obstacle for Nur Dhabitah to continue to take Malaysia's challenge by reaching the required excellent level if she wants to make her fourth consecutive appearance on the Olympic stage.
"Nur Dhabitah has just turned 25 years old and if she can go (LA28) she will only be 29 years old, for me at that age is not too old especially for the women's 3 metre (m) springboard event.
"With her potential and strength she can do and perform even better if she puts her mind towards the upcoming Olympic Games," he told Bernama.
He said the Malaysian Swimming Federation is still in need of the services of the Kuala Lumpur-born athlete considering her status as the best diver in the country for the event.
After the retirement of Wendy Ng Yan Yee in April, Bryan said there are no other national divers who are able to claim or even achieve the quality and reputation possessed by Nur Dhabitah.
"After Wendy retired, we have Ong Ker Ying but she has not reached Nur Dhabitah's standard," he said.
Last Friday, Nur Dhabitah ended the challenge of the 2024 Olympic Games in the last place in the women's 3m springboard final by collecting a total of 244.80 points at the Olympic Aquatic Centre, Paris.
In her Rio 2016 debut, she finished ninth in the women's 10m individual platform and fifth in the women's 3m springboard alongside Cheong Jun Hoong.
At Tokyo 2020, the five-time Asian Games medalist narrowly missed out on the podium by finishing fourth in the women's 3m springboard event.
In the meantime, Bryan said the competition for the men's 10m individual platform event looked competitive with four divers including the young athlete, Bertrand Rhodict Lises making his Olympic Games debut in Paris 2024, who are equally talented.
The former Olympian said other divers who could give Bertrand stiff competition were Jellson Jabillin, Enrique Maccartney Harold and Elvis Priestly Clement.
Earlier, Bertrand's challenge at the 2024 Olympics ended early after being eliminated in the qualifying round.
The 19-year-old diver failed to get a spot in the top 18 for the semi-finals of the men's 10m platform event after finishing 25th out of 26 competitors in the qualifying round with 313.70 points.
Nur Dhabitah and Bertrand's achievements in Paris 2024 saw the national diving camp returning empty-handed from the Olympic Games for the second time in a row after Tokyo 2020.
Malaysia has only won two medals in the Olympic diving pool, starting with Datuk Pandelela Rinong who took home bronze in the women's 10m individual platform event in London 2012, followed by silver with Jun Hoong in the women's 10m synchronized platform event at Rio 2016.
-- BERNAMA
