World Aquatics Championships Doha 2024: Pandelela Rinong Pamg fails to make 10m platform semi-finals
The Malaysian diver could only finish 29th in the preliminaries, all but ending her Olympic hopes in the event, as reigning champion Chen Yuxi and Quan Hongchan led the way in the Qatari capital.
Diving
Malaysian diver Pandelela Rinong Pamg made an early exit from the women's individual 10m platform at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships.
It means the two-time Olympic medallist will almost certainly miss out on the event at Paris 2024, although she still has a chance in the 10m synchro.
Competing in the preliminaries in Doha on Sunday (4 February), Rinong started with a fine forward pike three and a half somersaults for 72.00 and a share of third place.
But the 30-year-old was unable to back that up and lay in 17th place after four rounds with 18 going through to Monday's semi-finals.
Needing a strong final dive to progress, Rinong failed to deliver as she received marks of 2.0 and 2.5 from the judges for her back two-and-a-half pike twisting somersault.
Her total of 231.15 left her down in 29th, well off the pace set by reigning champion Chen Yuxi of People's Republic of China.
Chen tallied 435.20 with Olympic champion Quan Hongchan, who beat Chen to individual gold at Tokyo 2020, second on 399.30.
Fresh from her gold in the mixed 3m and 10m team event, Britain's Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix was third with 344.00.
Twelve quota spots* were available in this competition with 12 having already been obtained at last year's World Championships in Fukuoka.
And the 12th and last quota spot in Doha was secured by Latvia's Dzeja Patrika in 21st place, just over 26 points ahead of Rinong.
The semi-finals and final will take place on Monday.
Rinong and Nur Dhabitah Sabri compete in the 10m synchro final on Tuesday with four Olympic quota spots at stake. With three of the strongest pairs having already secured quota spots, a top-seven finish may be enough for the Malaysians.
*As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.