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Diver Huang Qiang sends family home to focus on training for Games

KUALA LUMPUR: Family will take a backseat for naturalised Malaysian diver Huang Qiang as he chases Olympic glory.
The former World Cup champion has sent his wife and five-month-old son back to China to stay with his in-laws as he feels this will enable him to give his full commitment to the last three months of training before the London Games.

Huang Qiang left yesterday with the national Olympic team for the Canadian Open in Montreal this weekend where he will be on double duty.
Huang Qiang, 30, is not just doing the 3m springboard synchro with new partner Bryan Nickson Lomas but is also contesting the individual springboard.

Also doing the individual discipline is Guangzhou Asian Games bronze medallist Yeoh Ken Nee. The divers will then travel to Fort Lauderdale for the US Open the following week.
The Canadian and US Opens, which are part of the World Grand Prix circuit, are the last two assignments before the divers set up training camp in Guangzhou for the Olympics.
The tough regime, which can stretch to five hours a day, has got to Huang Qiang and he was nursing sore shoulders last week.

But the tiredness is nothing compared to the adrenaline rush he expects when he makes his Olympic debut in London.
“I’m giving 100 per cent commitment in training as there isn’t much time left. I want to give my best and try to help Malaysia win a medal at the Olympics.

“I feel very, very tired because of the rigorous training. I haven’t done anything like this for a long time and my right shoulder is very sore.

“I haven’t dived in the individual springboard for many years but will give it a shot in Canada and US.
“These two meets will be good warm-ups to see where we need to improve before the Olympics,” said Huang Qiang, who came to Malaysia to coach after retiring from the China national team in 2006.
Huang Qiang made an impressive comeback after a six-year absence by partnering Bryan to clinch a historic bronze medal in the platform synchro at the World Cup meet and subsequently earning a quota spot for Malaysia at the Olympics.

Winning an Asian Games silver medal at the age of 16 in Bangkok in 1998, Huang Qiang was the favourite to win the 10m platform synchro gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. But he got injured and had to withdraw from the squad just days before moving into the Olympic village.

Diving head coach Yang Zhuliang said it has been a long wait for Huang Qiang..
“He is really determined to make the best of this second chance, even to the extent of staying away from his family so that he can focus on training,” said Zhuilang.

Besides Huang Qiang, Bryan and Ken Nee, Malaysia will also have five female divers competing in the Canadian and US Opens.

The five, who are also bound for the London Olympics, are Pandelela Rinong, Leong Mun Yee, Traisy Vivien Tukiet, Cheong Jun Hoong and Wendy Ng Yan Yee.
Ooi Tze Liang was to be the fourth Malaysian male diver but he pulled out at the last moment due to a shoulder injury.



THE STAR

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