National divers Pandelela Rinong and Cheong Jun Hoong created history after winning Malaysia’s first medal at the Rio Olympic Games with a second-placed finish in the women’s synchronized 10 metre platform category at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre earlier today.
The Sarawakian and Perakian earned their first ever Olympic silver medals after collecting a total of 344.34 points from five dives. They lost out to China’s Chen Ruolin and Liu Huixia, who finished the event with 354.00 points, just 0.66 points higher than the Malaysian duo.
Canada’s Benfeito Meaghan and Filion Roseline completed the podium with 336.18 points.
Pandelela Rinong and Cheong Jun Hoong went after the winners and scored 52.80 in the first two dives, 76.50 in the third dive, 79.68 in the fourth dive and 82.56 in the final dive.
The divers participated in the women’s synchronized 3 metre springboard event during the Olympic Games in London in 2012 and came in last place with a score of 283.50 points.
Pandelela Rinong will be looking for an improvement in the women’s 10 metre platform event after winning the bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in England four years ago.
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