DIVERS Francis Deolar and Monique Ann Demaisip ruled the men’s and women’s 3-meter springboard diving events last Monday to complete a golden double for the Philippines in the 10th Asian Age group aquatic championships in Bangalore, India.
Deolar, 17, debuted in the meet with a bang, clinching the gold over a 10-man field with a score of 295.70 points, relegating Indians Sharma Ramananda (287.25) and Pradershi Siddhartha (282.15) to the silver and bronze, respectively.
A day after bagging the women’s 1-meter springboard gold, Fil-Am Demaisip, 22, emerged triumphant anew, topping the 3-meter springboard with a score of 214.40 points.
Kazahkstan’s Zhijavrela Juliya (207.75) settled for the silver while compatriot Borova Yelizaveta (156.15) bagged the bronze.
Deolar and Demaisip will be in the national diving squad seeing action in the 30th Southeast Asian Games in December at the FINA-certified 2,000-seat Aquatic Center at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac. But they will have to work hard with just over two months left in their bid for a podium finish in the 3-meter springboard competitions.
Deolar’s score in Bangalore is way off the 386.35 set by Singaporean bronze medalist Lee Han Kuan in the Malaysia SEA Games two years ago.
Demaisip’s winning score is also below the bronze medal tally of 233.60 posted by Singapore’s Ashley Tan Yee in the same games.
The Pinoy divers are out to break a 12-year dry spell in the biennial meet since their predecessors brought home three gold medals in the 2007 Thailand SEA Games.
The Davao pair of Ryan Rexel Fabriga and Jaime Asok swept the men’s 10-meter platform and 3-meter springboard events while fellow Davao bet Shiela Mae Perez bagged the gold in the women’s 3-meter springboard event back in 2007.
The last time the country won a medal in the SEA Games diving competitions was a pair of silver medals in the 2011 Indonesia Games in the men’s 3-meter and 10-meter events.
