Wakeboarders clinch mixed team silver
Singapore's wakeboarders missed out on the mixed team gold medal at the Water Sports Complex in Putrajaya yesterday, after being pipped to top spot by defending champions Thailand.
The quartet of Sasha Christian, Gooi Jia Yi, Ng Sim Hwee, and Samuel Chua scored a total of 245 points, behind Thailand's 275. Indonesia were third with 170 points.
Speaking to The New Paper, three-time SEA Games individual wakeboard gold medallist Christian, 24, said the team were encouraged by how they managed to push powerhouses Thailand all the way.
She said: "Collectively, we were sad that we did not get the gold medal.
"But everyone in the team did super well and I am really proud of the hard work that we have all put in together.
"I think this is the first time five out of six of us made it to the finals. We haven't had so many of us competing in the finals and in that aspect, it is a victory in a sense.
"But Thailand have always been strong opponents, they are the wakeboarding kings in South-east Asia.
"Tatsanai (Kuakoonrat) and Padiwat (Jaemjan) were superb today."
During the finals, the top two scores from both the women's and men's categories go into the final score.
Christian and Gooi combined in the women's category for a total of 155 points, while Chua and Ng added another 90 points from the men's competition. The other two team members are Joshua Tay and Melanie Jane Tan.
Christian believes the team will keep improving as they look to close the gap on the Thais.
She said: "No, I am not disappointed (by the result). In all honesty, we did everything that we could today.
"Going up against top-level riders like the Thais is challenging enough, but we are always going to come back stronger and stronger."
The waterski and wakeboard competition continues today with the women's jump and trick preliminaries and men's jump preliminaries. - JONATHAN LEE
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