KUCHING: There will be no dive into the deep end this time at the World Diving Championships for Datuk Pandelela Rinong.
The national diver has pulled out from the Women’s 10m Platform Individual preliminary event of the championship today – two days after withdrawing from the synchronised platform category.
The reason? Her left shoulder is not fully ready yet to where it needs to be.
“It’s a tough call, but the right one. My shoulder hasn’t healed enough for me to dive safely, let alone at my best,” she said in a personal post in Facebook today.
There’s disappointment clearly – but no self-pity.
Instead, she is turning the focus inward: rest, rehab, and a promise to treat her body with more care as she eyes her next shot on the international stage.
“I’m so grateful for the love and concern. I’ll be back stronger – that’s a promise,” she concluded.
For now, she remains in Singapore, donning a different role: cheerleader, motivator, teammate. And she’s urging Malaysians to rally behind the rest of the squad still fighting for the nation on the boards.
It’s a pause, not a full stop. The journey continues on for the diving queen.
