Pandelela Pamg: a sport icon in Malaysia

She is a sports icon in her country. And this status is totally justified: in 2009, at the FINA World Championships in Rome (ITA), she won the first-medal ever for her nation in the history of the competition. And three years later, at the London Games, she became the first female athlete of Malaysia to be on an Olympic podium – before that, only male badminton players had this honour. She is Pandelela Rinong Pamg, a role model in diving and a true inspiration for all her compatriots.

Already qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (BRA), the 23-year-old athlete is committed on making history once more. In the British capital, she earned bronze in her pet event, the 10m platform, while her World Championships’ saga started in 2009, with also a third place in the synchro 10m event. Since then, she medalled in Barcelona 2013 (bronze in synchro 10m) and in Kazan 2015 (bronze in the individual 10m). At the recent FINA World Cup, qualifying and test event for the Rio Olympics, she was silver medallist in the synchro event and missed the podium (fourth) in the individual one, after a disastrous last dive (a back 2 ½ somersaults, 1 ½ twists in the pike position). Finally, her FINA/NVC Diving World Series milestones this year already include a bronze in the synchro 10m in Beijing (first leg of the series), and two fourth places in Dubai (individual and synchro 10m).

At the London 2012 post-event Press Conference, Pandelela (1.62m/52kg) was confident on a rapid evolution of diving in Malaysia after her outstanding success in the Games. Almost four years later, and before the 2016 Olympic rendezvous, FINA wanted to know if this had been a reality.

“Malaysian people now know what is diving… thanks to me! There is some improvement and some support is coming in, but the evolution is slow,” she explains. A new Diving Aquatics complex in Sarawak is nevertheless a testimony of this appreciation Malaysia has for her star’s performances. “It’s true that it can help us developing this sport in my country,” she concedes.

Being a solid hope for a medal in Rio, Malaysian people will certainly follow her performances with interest. Before her achievement, only five medals (none of them in gold) had been earned by the Asian country at the Games. All were obtained in men’s badminton – silver in 1996, 2008 and 2012, and bronze in 1992 and 1996. So, why not the first Malaysian gold for Pandelela in Rio?

“It’s true we never got gold at the Olympics, but I don’t close the door to that possibility. Everyone in Malaysia expects an Olympic medal from me, and there is some public pressure. But I can cope with that: the most important thing for me is to train well and to be able to perform regularly in the decisive moments,” she considers.

Having former athlete Guo Jingjing (CHN), the most decorated athlete ever in the 3m springboard, as her idol, the Malaysian star recognises the dominance of Chinese divers in the international scene. However, some missing titles in the women’s 10m platform leave all scenarios open for Rio (China did not win at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, and more recently at the 2009 and 2015 FINA World Championships).

“China is not unbeatable. Today morning, I beat them in the semis, so anything can happen at Games’ time. The outcome of a diving final is essentially dictated by the ones doing fewer mistakes,” she confesses.   

The Olympic bronze medallist started diving at age seven and trains in her country. 2016 is a special season, aimed at the Games, so the preparation is also adapted to this milestone in the sport career of every athlete. “The participation in the Diving World Series definitively helps me going to Rio. At home, we are having some challenges with our training complex in Kuala Lumpur (which is being renovated), so we are finding other more appropriate solutions,” she admitted.

Some athletes had the privilege (and the talent) to put their country in the map of aquatic sports. Recent examples in Swimming include Alia Atkinson for Jamaica, or Joseph Schooling for Singapore. Kazan 2015 was highlighted by the entry of DPR Korea in the diving international sphere. Flagbearer for her country at the London 2012 Opening Ceremony, Pandelela Rinong Pamg is definitively synonym of diving in Malaysia.