PERFORMING in the 10m platform was such a rarity for national women’s diver Lee Yiat Qing, but who would have thought that this 15-year-old athlete could do wonders in her maiden SEA Games in Phnom Penh today.

While most attention was on her senior, Nur Eilisha Rania Muhammad Abrar Raj, Yiat Qing, who often dives in the 3m springboard event, rose to the occasion as she claimed gold in the Morodok Techo Aquatics Centre.

The Kuala Lumpur-born athlete amassed 253.80 points to finish ahead of Bui Thi Hong Giang of Vietnam (242.20 points). Gladies Lariesa Garina Haga of Indonesia took bronze (228.00 points).

It was a day to forget for debutant Nur Eilisha as her poor fourth dive took a toll on her bid to get a podium finish alongside Yiat Qing.

She scored 227.05 points to finish fourth out of seven divers in the event.

Yiat Qing said she did not expect to take home gold as she is relatively new to platform events.

“I usually dive in 3m springboard but for the SEA Games, I was picked to compete in the platform event and started training last December,” she said.

“I did not think too much, I just did whatever I could here. Today’s performance was really good, I did not expect to do this great. It is the biggest win in my career so far. I am happy and proud as all my hardwork paid off.”

Asked whether today’s victory could be a turning point for her to switch to platform events, she did not discount such a possibility and even consider diving in both events.

Moving forward, she hopes to compete in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Yiat Qing’s sweet achievement today puts the national diving camp closer to extending its domination in Cambodia after winning two golds via Kimberly Bong in the women’s 3m springboard individual and Muhammad Syafiq Puteh in men’s 3m springboard individual.

In the last day of diving events tomorrow, Malaysia will field two more divers – Bertrand Rhodict Anak Lises and Enrique Maccartney Harold – in the men’s 10m platform in hopes of completing a clean sweep of all four golds offered in the 2023 SEA Games. – Bernama, May 10, 2023.