KUALA LUMPUR: For national woman diver Nur Dhabitah Sabri, the recipient of an unused quota slot for the Paris 2024 Olympics, one of her main challenges will be to try to get used to the elasticity of the new springboards that will be in place.
The 24-year-old, who only recently received confirmed her ticket to Paris 2024 after Malaysia received the unused quota slot for the women’s 3-metre (m) springboard event from World Aquatics last week, has yet to get acquainted with the new springboard that is being used in all major tournaments.
She said the national divers are still using the old type of springboards during training at the National Aquatics Centre in Bukit Jalil.
As such, Nur Dhabitah and Bertrand Rhodict Lises, who had qualified on merit for the men’s 10m platform event, will undergo a two-week training stint from next week in London to acclimatise themselves to the weather and time difference as well as get used to the new type of springboard.
“I experienced using the new type of springboard recently at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar (in February) and in Australia. But it takes time to adapt (to its elasticity) because here we still train using the old type of springboard. So, the training in London will be our best chance to get used to the new springboard and be prepared for the Olympics.
“The technical (aspects of the) new springboard are different. Things can go south if we misjudge even a little… so we must be precise. This new type of springboard is helpful but it’s more about an individual’s performance,” she told reporters at the event to introduce Skechers as the official footwear of the Malaysian contingent bound for the Paris Olympics at Wisma OCM here today.
Meanwhile, Nur Dhabitah admitted to missing national diving queen Datuk Pandelela Rinong, who was with her in the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo editions but who failed to qualify this time.
Nur Dhabitah added that the absence of Pandelela and other senior divers from the Paris Olympics has placed more pressure on her to deliver the goods.
“Perhaps many are counting on me because Bertrand is still a junior. It feels different without Pandelela.
“As for targets, I don’t want to look too far ahead, just want to focus on the preliminary first and qualify for the semi-finals and then the final. I will give it everything I can,” she said.
In the Rio Games, Nur Dhabitah and Pandelela competed in the 10m platform individual event while Nur Dhabitah also took part in the 3m springboard synchronised event with Cheong Jun Hoong.
In Tokyo 2020, Nur Dhabitah finished fourth in the 3m springboard individual event.
