Pandelela and Mun Yee get to compete again at Diving World Series

PETALING JAYA: Pandelela Rinong and Leong Mun Yee will keep the Malaysian flag flying again in the FINA Diving World Series next year. The duo are the only Malaysians to make the top 10 of the world rankings for 2011 and that guarantees them berths in the prestigious series. The 2012 calendar for the series, which is for the top ranked 10 divers in the respective disciplines, features competitions in Dubai (March 16-17), Beijing (March 23-24), Moscow (April 13-14) and Tijuana, Mexico, (April 20-21). Pandelela is ranked third behind two Chinese divers Hu Yadan and the world and Olympic champion Chen Ruolinin the women's 10m platform individual event. Fellow Sarawakian Traisy Vivien, who won her first SEA Games gold medal in Indonesia last month, is ranked 16th. The 17-year-old Pandelela, who made history as Malaysia's first Commonwealth Games diving gold medallist in New Delhi last year, rode on several breakthrough achievements to finish ahead of 2009 world champion Paola Espinosa in the world rankings for the season. Pandelela started with silver medals in the 10m platform individual and synchro with Mun Yee at the World Series leg in Beijing in February. Pandelela then scored a historic first for Malaysia by partnering Mun Yee to the synchro gold at the German Open in May where she also took silver in the 10m platform individual. Pandelela was also the silver medallist at the World University Games in Shenzhen in August and has already qualified for the London Olympics after finishing fifth in the World Championships in Shanghai this year. The performances of Pandelela and Mun Yee also saw Malaysia ranked third behind China and Australia in the women's 10m platform synchro ahead of Canada. Germany, Ukraine, Britain, Mexico, Russia and United States make up the top 10 rankings for women's 10m platform synchro.