Fighting spirit despite slip

One slip and a possible Bronze medal slipped out of Fong Kay Yian's hands. The youngster was competing in the Women's 3m Springboard event as Diving action at the SEA Games kicked off at the Wunna Theikdi Swimming Complex in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on Wednesday (18 December).

Steady Diving

Diving steadily up to Round Three, Kay Yian had a comfortable 13-point lead over eventual Bronze medallist Indah Eka Purnama (240.35 points) of Indonesia. But a slip in her hop step leading to her fourth jump meant she did not elevate enough off the springboard, entering the water flat on her back.

Fourth & Fifth

This set her back to fifth position eventually with her score of 218.55 points, behind team mate Myra Lee (233.10) who came in fourth. Malaysia's Cheong Jun Hoong (327.15) took the Gold while her compatriot Ng Yan Yee won the Silver (323.10).

Fighting Spirit

Still, there was much Kay Yian can be proud of. The 17-year-old showed fighting spirit to complete the event with her fifth dive, scoring an impressive second highest score among the field. Yet, it wasn't enough to pull her back into medal contention and she was inconsolable after the event.

Personal Best

As for Myra, she was pleased to have completed her first competition. "I've done a personal best and I'm happy," she said. The girls will next compete in the synchronised event. Assistant Team Manager Damier Ler was very pleased with the girls' performance. He said, "Today was a good warm up for them because the individual event is not their focus. We are looking forward to the synchronised dives."