It's not about winning at the Olympic Games. It's about trying to win. The motto is faster, higher, stronger - not fastest, strongest, highest. Sometimes it's the trying that matters. - Bronte Barratt
Did you know Malaysia has been part of the Olympic Games since 1956?
While athletes from the Federation of Malaya participated in the 1956 and 1960 Olympics, our nation competed under the name "Malaysia" for the first time in 1964. In the case of Olympic diving, it has only been a little over 20 years since Malaysian athletes took part in the diving sport.
You could say that our country is still young in the history of diving!
Let's look back on the nation's diving history at the Olympics and some noteworthy achievements that have made us proud to be Malaysians.
Who is the first Malaysian to make it to Olympic diving?
Do you know the names of the first Malaysian athletes who participated in Olympic diving events?
These unprecedented divers were none other than Datuk Leong Mun Yee, Yeoh Ken Nee and Mohamed Azreen Bahari who represented Malaysia at the 2000 Summer Olympics!
How well do you know your diving knowledge and concepts?
In the meantime, here are some fun facts about these three amazing trailblazers:
- When Datuk Leong Mun Yee made her Olympic diving debut, she was only 15 years old! She was one of the youngest female athletes to represent the country at the time and continued to do so for the next two decades.
- During the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar, Yeoh Ken Nee won a gold medal in the men's 3-metre springboard diving event. In that same year, he participated in the Commonwealth Games and won a silver medal in the men's 1-metre springboard diving event. He was just 19 years old at the time.
- Mohamed Azreen Bahari was 16 years old when he represented Malaysia in the men's 10-metre platform Olympic diving event.
Have you noticed that these athletes were fairly young when they competed for an Olympic medal? That's because the Malaysia Diving Team focused on nurturing young talent in its initial years and gained experience through international youth diving events like the FINA World Junior Diving Championships.
Even now, it is clear that young talents will lead Malaysia's performance in the diving sport. In July last year, Sarawak-born Bertrand Rhodict Lises became the first Malaysian athlete to qualify on merit for the Paris 2024 Olympics. What's more impressive is that the then-18-year-old had just made his debut at the World Championships!
Read here for more stories about famous Malaysian diving athletes.
Which Malaysian diver won an Olympic medal?
Although Malaysia has only participated in Olympic diving for the last 20 years, the country has since recorded an impressive tally in the diving sport and other international diving events.
In October 2023, the country secured 32 medals in the Hangzhou Asian Games, of which 1 silver medal and 4 bronze medals were won by diving athletes. Are you aware that the Malaysia Diving Team has also achieved outstanding results in other events like the Commonwealth Games, SEA Games and World Aquatics Championships?
Let's get back to the Olympics, shall we?
As of 2023, the total tally of Olympic medals won by Malaysian athletes in the diving sport is as follows:
| Medal | Name of Athlete | Games | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Silver | Cheong Jun Hoong Pandelela Rinong Pamg | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | Women's synchronised 10-metre platform |
| 1 Bronze | Pandelela Rinong Pamg | 2012 London | Women's 10-metre platform |
If you tuned into the London 2012 Olympic diving event, you may have been lucky enough to witness the iconic moment Datuk Pandelela Rinong won the country's first-ever Olympic medal in diving! In addition to her bronze medal, she also made history as Malaysia's first female athlete to win an Olympic medal, as well as the first athlete to win an Olympic medal in a sport other than badminton.
And everyone who has watched springboard diving on TV would know Cheong Jun Hoong!
In addition to winning the country's first silver medal in Olympic diving, Cheong Jun Hoong also made history as Malaysia's first diving world champion after winning the 10-metre platform event at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships. Of all the challenges she has faced as a diver, Cheong Jun Hoong has said that the biggest challenge would be her injuries.
Imagine being so amazing at the sport that you have overcome the pressure of leaping off the springboard!
That is why divers must stick to diving rules and regulations to keep safe in the water.
Who popularised the diving sport in Malaysia?
With news like Datuk Leong Mun Yee teaching diving lessons to kids and the Sarawak Aquatic Centre being renamed after Datuk Pandelela Rinong, it's no surprise that diving has become a well-known sport in Malaysia.
In addition to these diving superstars, we would like to highlight the following Olympians who have popularised the diving sport in Malaysia. Do you know these Malaysian divers?
Bryan Nickson Lomas
Bryan Lomas became an Olympian when he first participated in the men's platform diving event at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics. Not only was he just 14 years old at the time, but he was also the second-youngest athlete to compete in the Games! In that same year, he became Malaysia's first world junior diving champion after winning a gold medal in the Brazil World Junior Diving Championship's 3-metre springboard diving event.
From a young age, Bryan Lomas brought pride to the nation in international diving events like the Olympics (2004-2012), Commonwealth Games and World Aquatics Championships, steadily increasing his winning tally. Today, he has retired from the diving sport and is currently the technical director for the Malaysia Swimming Federation (MAS).
Visit these diving schools to learn competitive diving in Malaysia.
Ng Yan Yee
Also known as Wendy Ng, this key member of Malaysia's female diving team had only recently announced her retirement from the sport. Initially training in rhythmic gymnastics, Ng Yan Yee was roped into the diving sport when she was 11 years old and made her Olympic diving debut in the London 2012 Olympics. In 2016, the nation celebrated her win for being only the third Malaysian diver to claim the FINA Diving Grand Prix gold medal.
This feat was previously achieved by Datuk Pandelela Rinong and Cheong Jun Hoong.
During the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games, she was forced to return her gold medal following a doping offence. Despite this loss and an 8-month-long ban from the diving sport, she emerged victorious in the 30th SEA Games and reclaimed gold in the women's 3-metre springboard diving event.
Throughout her career, Ng Yan Yee won a total of 8 gold medals and 7 silver medals in the Asian Games, SEA Games and Commonwealth Games altogether, not to mention her continuous participation in the Olympic springboard diving events (2012-2020).
Ooi Tze Liang
If you have ever watched our Malaysian male athletes compete in springboard diving events, you probably already know Ooi Tze Liang who made his Olympics debut in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics.
This Penang-born diver started training in the sport when he was just 8 years old! In 2014, he became the first Malaysian male diver to win a Commonwealth gold medal after dominating the men's 3-metre springboard event. He also took home the silver medal in the men's 10-metre platform event.
Still active in the diving sport, Ooi Tze Liang holds an impressive tally of 7 gold medals, 8 silver medals and 7 bronze medals from various international diving events like the FINA Diving Grand Prix and the Asian Games. He is also the recipient of the Sports Toto Award (by the Olympic Council of Malaysia) for his outstanding performance at the 2015 Singapore SEA Games.
We can agree that our Malaysian athletes will continue to shine and make Olympic diving history.
Start your journey to springboard diving on Superprof
After watching Olympic diving, you could wonder how our Malaysian athletes overcame their fear of heights and made the water their home.
It all began with a passion for the diving sport and a coach who supported them on their journey.
If you have been inspired to try an aquatic sport, the best way to start would be through swimming. How about taking swimming lessons on Superprof, the leading global platform that connects students to tutors of diverse subjects?
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Head to the Superprof Tutors page now to find your preferred swimming instructor. Remember to read each tutor's profile to get to know their style of swimming lessons and available learning modes.
Who knows? You may be able to win a medal someday, too!
Learn with a professional swim coach in lesson swimming on Superprof today.
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