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Mun Yee, Pandelela raih kuota seirama


Kiri Pandelela Rinong, Leong Mun Yee
KUALA LUMPUR – Penerjun wanita veteran, Leong Mun Yee memastikan dirinya tidak kempunan penampilan terakhir Olimpik apabila dia dan rakan segandingannya, Pandelela Rinong menepati ramalan menempah kuota dalam acara 10 meter platform seirama di Piala Dunia FINA, London, semalam.

Kejayaan itu bermakna Mun Yee, 28, telah memahat sejarah selaku atlet negara kedua membuat penampilan terbanyak di temasya sukan terbesar dunia itu, iaitu sebanyak empat kali, sekali gus menyamai rekod Kevin Lim dalam sukan kapal layar (Atlanta 1996 hingga Beijing 2008).

London 2012 berkemungkinan besar adalah yang terakhir buat Mun Yee, yang tidak pernah gagal mewarnai kontinjen Malaysia semenjak temasya Sydney 2000.

Dia dijangka tidak meneruskan cabaran sehingga Rio De Janeiro 2016 memandangkan faktor usianya.
Apa yang pasti, penerjun jelita kelahiran Ipoh itu, kini sudah boleh memasang impian untuk menoktah karier Olimpik dengan positif.

Kalau dalam tiga penyertaan sebelum ini kehadirannya boleh dikatakan hanyalah sekadar melengkapkan angka penyertaan.

Sydney, Athens dan Beijing, tidak pernah sekali pun dia berjaya melepasi pusingan saringan.
Namun, situasinya sudah berubah sekarang, dengan Mun Yee membentuk gandingan mantap bersama Pandelela, mereka tergolong sebagai pasangan elit yang mampu mencabar kedudukan podium pada temasya London itu nanti.

Semalam, Pandelela-Mun Yee mempamerkan keunggulan pada pusingan saringan dengan menduduki tangga ketiga, namun gagal mengekalkan persembahan di peringkat final yang berlangsung lewat petang, menyaksikan mereka sekadar mengutip 307.86 mata, jauh berbanding 318.42 yang dicatatkan pada sebelah pagi.

Acara akhir yang menampilkan 12 pasangan tersebut dikuasai pasangan China, Chen Ruolin-Wang Xin dengan skor 359.58 mata, jauh mengatasi pencabar terdekatnya, Kanada, Roseline Fillion-Meaghan Benfeito (331.65) dan tuan rumah, Tonia Couch-Sarah Barrow (314.40).

Mujur kedudukan di tangga ketujuh cukup melayakkan Malaysia untuk mengisi baki empat slot terakhir ke Olimpik. Tiga lagi negara yang menempah tiket terakhir itu ialah Kanada, Ukraine dan Mexico yang kesemuanya menempatkan diri dalam lapan terbaik.

China, Australia, Jerman telah pun layak lebih awal sewaktu di Kejohanan Dunia Shanghai tahun lalu manakala tuan rumah dianugerahkan kuota secara automatik.

“Saya berasa sungguh lega. Inilah peluang terakhir kami untuk layak dan misi berjaya dilaksanakan. Segala pengorbanan saya selama ini nampaknya berbaloi,” kata Mun Yee.



Oleh TAN MING WAI
tan.mingwai@utusan.com.my

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