Pandelela Rinong – Malaysia’s Pride At The 2012 Summer Olympics

Pandelela Rinong has written her name in Malaysia’s history book by winning the bronze medal in the Olympics women’s 10m individual platform event at the Aquatics Centre early Friday.

Pandelela Rinong Wins Olympic Bronze Medal in Olympic 2012

Her bronze medal was Malaysia’s first-ever Olympics medal in a sport other than badminton, besides making Pandelela the first Malaysian woman to win an Olympics medal.

The 19-year-old from Sarawak garnered a total of 359.20 points to finish behind China’s Chen Ruolin, who won the gold on 422.30 points while Brittany Broben from Australia won the silver on 366.50 points.

The gold, silver and bronze medallists

Although diving had promised a medal here, not many had given the team a chance, especially since they had failed in their last six events.

But Pandelela delivered. Her feat also helped the national contingent match Malaysia’s best placing in the Olympics – the silver and bronze won at the Atlanta Games in 1996.

Then, the badminton doubles pairing of Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock won the silver while Rashid Sidek won the bronze in the men’s singles.

Pandelela said she hoped her achievement in London 2012 would inspire others to take up diving as a competitive event.

“I am so happy with winning this medal. It is something that I had only dreamt off and now diving can look at it as a turning point.

“I feel that a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders and we can now look forward to better times,” she said.

An ecstatic Pandelela Rinong

Pandelela started off the final poorly, getting only 58.50 points for her first dive to be placed in 10th spot.

Up to the third dive, she was still in 10th place but her final two dives were well-received by the judges and netted 81.60 and 76.80 points respectively.

Pandelela was placed 7th after Round 4 with 282.40 points in this intense competition. In Round 5 (final round), she managed to pull off a climax with a score of 76.80 to finish at 359.20.

Pandelela Rinong about to execute one of her dives

Pandelela Rinong in action

“After the first dive, I told myself not to be worried and to stay calm. At that point I was not thinking of a medal at all. I just wanted to do my best.

“I am glad that my routines worked and some of the others registered slightly lower points,” she said.

Pandelela Rinong anak Pamg (born March 2, 1993) is 5’3″ tall and weighs 109 lbs. She is of Bidayuh ethnicity, a Bumiputera race native to Sarawak, Malaysia.

At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, she won a bronze medal in the Women’s 10 m Synchronized Platform with Mun Yee Leong and placed 5th in the Women’s 10 m platform. She also competed in the Women’s 10 m platform at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

She was the flag bearer for the Malaysian contingent at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore where she won the silver medals in the girls’ 10m platform event and 3m springboard event.

At New Delhi 2010, she won Malaysia’s first Commonwealth Games gold medal in an aquatic sport by winning the women’s 10m platform.

She was Malaysia’s first female flag bearer at the opening ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics.

Malaysia's first female flag bearer at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics

Congratulations, Pandelela! You have given Malaysians a reason to be proud of!