Jun Hoong qualifies for Tokyo after FINA reverses decision

KUALA LUMPUR: Former world diving champion Cheong Jun Hoong has regained her ticket to the Tokyo Olympics next month, after a dramatic u-turn by the International Swimming Federation (FINA), according to Malaysia Swimming (MS) today.

MS secretary-general Mae Chan said FINA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had reversed their decision and included the top 18 divers in the women's 10m individual platform in the 2021 FINA Diving World Cup for the Olympics.

"We are happy to inform that Jun Hoong has gotten her slot back to the Olympics. Thank you to the newly elected FINA president Husain Al Musallam.

"FINA and IOC have reversed their decision and included the top 18 divers for the Olympics," she told reporters via WhatsApp.

Mae said this news was received via email from FINA yesterday.

Meanwhile, in a Facebook posting, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican welcomed this positive turn of events.

He thanked the Olympic Council of Malaysia and the national swimming body for their hard work in ensuring that national divers performed their best and qualified on merit.

Jun Hoong, 31, will now join four other national women divers who had qualified earlier for the Olympics, namely Pandelela Rinong Pamg (10m individual platform and 10m synchronised platform), Nur Dhabitah Sabri (3m individual springboard), Wendy Ng Yan Yee (3m individual springboard) and Leong Mun Yee (10m synchronised platform).

Last Wednesday, MS said Jun Hoong had missed the cut for the Tokyo Olympics after FINA decided to allow only the best 15 divers in the women's 10m individual platform in the Diving World Cup to qualify for the world's biggest sporting event.

In the 2021 World Cup, Jung Hoong finished last in the women's 10m individual platform semi-finals but still emerged among the top 18 divers in the championship to qualify for the Olympics, before FINA decided to allow only the top 15 divers to go to Tokyo.

-- BERNAMA