Malaysia's "national unity icon" Pandelela Rinong ready to seal Olympic spot at 2023 World Aquatics Championships
The diver, a two-time Olympic medallist, is aiming to qualify for her fifth Olympic Games – and will earn Malaysia a spot with a top-12 individual finish at the World Championships in Japan.
Diving
Diver Pandelela Rinong's list of achievements is an extensive one. Three Olympic Games appearances including two medals won, seven World Championships medals, two Commonwealth Games titles, and nine Southeast Asian Games crowns.
But she is entering this year's 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, with a new title as she aims to qualify for a fifth Olympics: Malaysian "national unity icon".
Widely regarded as one of Malaysia's best hopes for to win an Olympic medal, when she competes, she unifies the entire country to cheer her on – something her government has recognised by naming her as such.
Carrying the new title, Pandelela can earn Malaysia a Paris 2024 Olympic quota spot by finishing in the top 12 in her individual 10m platform event in Fukuoka.
Pandelela Rinong: Malaysian diving's poster girl for national unity
In Malay-Muslim-majority Malaysia, Rinong – an ethnically Indigenous Bidayuh from Sarawak state – is a perfect example of diversity and unity.
The 30-year-old went to a Chinese-language primary school and also speaks the national language of Malay, in addition to English and her native Indigenous Bidayuh language.
Her successes at the global level while being this unifying figure led her to be selected in June as one of the country's "unity icons" by Malaysia's Ministry of National Unity, which said the appointment would be "to strengthen unity among the people".
Other 'unity icons' in Malaysia include badminton star Lee Chong Wei, who was appointed in 2017, and popular actors.
Reacting to the news, Pandelela said, according to The Star: "I think this appointment promotes unity through volunteerism among the youths. I will honour this responsibility to contribute back to our community, through sportsmanship or volunteerism."
Can Malaysia achieve long-held dream of Olympic gold through Pandelela?
Not only is Pandelela a national unity icon, she is arguably Malaysia's most influential voice in aquatic sports given her achievements. And when she talks, people listen.
It was notable that after winning bronze at London 2012 and silver at Rio 2016, Rinong returned from the Olympic Games of Tokyo 2020 without a medal.
And Pandelela did not mince her words as to why that was the case, after Malaysia's sports ministry announced a "Road to Gold" task force for the Paris 2024 Games in April.
For Malaysian athletes to deliver on the international stage, and perhaps win the country's long-awaited first Olympic gold, Pandelela said, support teams provided to athletes – which were cut for Tokyo 2020 – need to return.
"I hope that after this the support services will be more consistent, not sometimes available and at other times not. In London and Rio we had our masseurs and sports biomechanics (experts) but for Tokyo 2020 there were none," she said then.
"I am not getting any younger while other divers need video analysis during training and competitions. it would be difficult to record consistent results without proper support services," she added, according to New Straits Times.
And it appears her pleas made it to the top, with Malaysian sports minister Hannah Yeoh promising to discuss the matter with the task force's committee.
Back in the pool: Pandelela Rinong hunts for 2024 Olympic qualification
While the question of having more support at events is in the air, Pandelela isn't letting that distract her.
More immediately, she is set to compete at the World Championships in Fukuoka, the first chance for her to seal Malaysia's Olympic spots for next summer.
This is just her second international meet of the season, having been left out of the squad for the 2023 SEA Games to allow her younger teammates the opportunity to compete in the regional competition and gain exposure to the pressure.
Instead, her only other outing this year was at the World Cup stop in Montreal, Canada, in May, when she finished ninth in both her individual 10m platform and the mixed team event.
In Fukuoka, she is focusing on just the individual event – and as she looks for that Olympic berth, she will no doubt unify Malaysia behind her once again.