KUALA LUMPUR: National diver Bertrand Rhodict Lises rediscovered his form and confidence after enduring a difficult year, clinching the men’s 10m platform gold at the Malaysia Open at the National Aquatics Centre in Bukit Jalil today.
The 20-year-old Sarawakian broke the 400-point barrier with an impressive 417.55 total — his first time surpassing that mark since registering 442.35 at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
Bertrand’s triumph comes as a personal breakthrough following his struggles with confidence since the Paris Olympics last year, where he finished 25th out of 26 competitors with a modest 313.70.
“Actually, I’m quite happy because not many people know I’ve been struggling with competing,” Bertrand said.
“Training was fine, I could perform well, but after Paris I completely lost my confidence. It took me more than a year to get it back.”
This season, he added, has been a process of rebuilding belief in himself.
“I just told myself to keep pushing, to be patient. Today’s performance feels good — it’s different from Paris, and it’s good to be back and performing well again.”
Teammate Enrique Maccartney Harold settled for silver with 414.40, while Russian Sandro Rogava, competing under the Neutral Athlete banner (NAB), placed third on 372.75.
Despite his strong performance, Bertrand remains self-critical, insisting there is still room to improve.
“I’ll never feel fully satisfied with my dives,” he added.
“My fifth dive today was supposed to be my best, but I slipped a bit. I’ll review the video and discuss it with my coach,” he said.
Bertrand will next focus on qualifying for the World Cup next season before turning his attention to the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
