Thursday, December 14, 2006 Davao's Perez pulls out of 3-meter springboard By Marianne L. Saberon-Abalayan
SHEILA Mae Perez withdrew from her favorite event in the 15th Asian Games diving competition at the Hamad Aquatic Centre in Doha, Qatar Tuesday due to her back muscular injury.
The pain was too much for Perez forcing her to withdraw participation in the women's three-meter individual springboard event after finishing fifth in the synchronized three-meter springboard with fellow Dabawenya partner Ceseil Domenios Monday.
Ceseil, however, will try to save RP pride as the three-meter springboard individual event was set to get into action Tuesday night.
The triple Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medallist Perez, who had been feeling the pain for the past two years, recently said the pain was triggered during a very tedious training routine in China.
She told Sun.Star Davao before leaving for Doha that Chinese coach Zhang Dehu wouldn't force her to dive in the Asiad.
"He told me not to push myself to dive if I can't endure the pain. Otherwise, I might not be able to play in the World Championships in May at all. That's where we really want to compete because we want another shot for the Olympics," she said.
Meanwhile, Davao City divers Zardo Domenios and Niño Carog placed 10th and 11th, respectively, in the men's one-meter springboard finals topped by Chinese Yutong Luo.
Lutong, who amassed 466.10 points, bested teammate Kai Qin (439.20) for the gold. The latter settled for silver while Japanese Ken Terauchi got the bronze with 419.75 points.
Domenios scored 316.70 while Carog registered 284.95. Malaysian Ken Nee Yeoh was fourth with 400.40, Japanese Yu Okamoto (352.65) was fifth, Malaysian Khairul Safwan (344.45) sixth, Thai Suchart Pichi (331.85) seventh, Kuwaiti Sulaiman Al Sabe (329.00) eighth, Taek Oh Yi (325.50) ninth and another Kuwait diver Huseen Al Qallaf in 12th.
Rexel Ryan Fabriga and Jaime Asok will try their luck in the men's individual 10-meter platform as the divefest ends Thursday.
