Renewed hope as Pandelela impresses

MAYBE, just maybe, Malaysia may end the London Olympics with a second medal after diver Pandelela Rinong advanced to the semi-finals of the women's 10m platform in an impressive second place on Wednesday.

Pandelela, the 2010 Commonwealth Games champion in the same event, scored a total 349.00 points from five dives to finish behind China's Chen Ruolin, who was in a class of her own with 392.35 points.

The China diver, barring the unexpected, will surely win the gold but Pandelela has given Malaysia reason to be excited after cyclist Azizulhasni Awang could only manage a sixth place finish in the keirin final on Tuesday.

Azizul, it was hoped, would add to the silver shuttler Lee Chong Wei won in the men's singles on Sunday but Pandelela, who still has to navigate past the semi-finals today (5pm Malaysian time), may just deliver  a medal.

Pandelela Rinong qualified comfortably for the women's 10m platform semi-finals.

Had it not been for a poor third dive which fetched only 52.80 points, Pandelela would have finished the preliminary round much closer to Chen Ruolin and a comfortable second ahead of Christin Steuer of Germany, who scored 341.75 points.

Traisy Vivien Tukiet, however, failed to advance to the semi-finals after finishing 22nd with 285.00 points. Only the top 18 advanced.

There is still work ahead though and Pandelela has to ensure that she advances to the final, scheduled for 2am Wednesday Malaysian  time  to launch an assault on a 10m platform medal after having finished seventh in the synchro with Leong Mun Yee and eighth in the 3m springboard synchro with Cheong Jun Hoong.