Jun Hoong beats China's best to win gold in World Aquatics Championship

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian diver Cheong Jun Hoong (pix) made history when she won the country's first diving gold medal on Wednesday in the women's 10m platform individual final at the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary – beating the more illustrious Chinese divers in the process.
"My god, I'm a world champion!" Cheong said in disbelief after she came in first with 397.5 points.
"I hoped for a medal, but I didn't think I could beat the Chinese divers," she said of China's Si Yajie, who took the silver with 396 points.
Si was the silver medallist for the event at the Rio Olympics last year.
Si's compatriot and reigning Olympic champion Ren Qian, who won silver in the event in 2015, took the bronze with 391.95 points.
Chinese divers have long dominated the event at the world championships, winning 22 medals, 16 more than any other country.
This was the second time 28-year-old Cheong from Perak tasted victory at the tournament, after she partnered Pandelela Rinong to take the bronze in the women's 10m platform synchro event on Sunday.
Pandelela, who took home the bronze in the event two years ago in Kazan, Russia, managed ninth place with 322.4 points.
Cheong's win comes during a week which also saw local sprinter Khairul Hafiz Jantan smashing the 200m sprint record set by "Flying Doctor" Tan Sri Dr M. Jegathesan in the semi-finals of the event at the Mexico Olympics in 1968.
Khairul clocked 20.9 seconds at the 94th Malaysia Open Athletics Championship on Tuesday to break Jegathesan's record of 20.92 seconds.
Cheong immediately became the toast of social media and her Facebook page was flooded with congratulatory messages, with many commenting that she had given the nation an early Merdeka gift and urged her to keep up the good work.
Both Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi took to Twitter to congratulate Cheong.
"Congratulations @cheongjunhoong! First world champion #Negaraku in the Women's Platform event at #FINABudapest2017," said Najib.
"Congratulations @cheongjunhoong world champion in women's 10m platform individual. History is created and it is a national pride. Thank you national athletes," said Ahmad Zahid.
Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin congratulated her for making the country proud and said it was another historic gold win for Malaysian athletes.
He expressed hope Cheong's extraordinary feat, and other record-breaking achievements by other athletes, would inspire the rest to do their best at the SEA Games next month.