KUALA LUMPUR: Wushu exponent Lee Jia Rong announced herself as a star after delivering Malaysia’s fourth gold medal at the World Championships in Brasilia, Brazil, today.
The 21-year-old Johorean triumphed in the women’s daoshu (broadsword) with a score of 9.726, edging Hong Kong’s Michelle Yeung on degree of difficulty after both tied on points at the Ulysses Guimaraes Convention Centre.
Japan’s Kana Ikeuchi settled for bronze with 9.723.
Jia Rong, whose outstanding performance was marked by strength, precision and elegance, also collected bronze in the gunshu earlier this week, underscoring her emergence as one of Malaysia’s brightest young prospects.
Her rise is all the more remarkable given her struggles just last year, when she failed to win gold at the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Sarawak.
She was only drafted into the World Championships squad after senior exponent Loh Ying Ting, a former silver medallist, was ruled out through injury.
“Last year was a very down period for her, but perseverance paid off,” said Wushu Federation of Malaysia (WFM) secretary-general Datuk Yong Kheng Chien.
“She didn’t give up and kept training. Now, she has upstaged her seniors to win gold on the world stage.”
Adding to the significance of her achievement is the fact that Jia Rong is not even a full-fledged member of the Podium Programme.
WFM had to convince the National Sports Council to place her on a one-year probation, a gamble that has paid off handsomely.
“She has just crossed the age limit for the backup squad, so technically she had no place to go,” said Kheng Chien. “We begged for her to be given a chance for one year, and she has proven her worth.”
The victory highlighted Malaysia’s depth in wushu and reinforced Jia Rong’s credentials as a name to watch out for in future regional and international tournaments.
Meanwhile, Sydney Chin finished seventh in the women’s taijijian (9.603), Pang Pui Yee was fifth in the women’s qiangshu (9.743), and Clement Ting placed fifth in the men’s gunshu (9.740).
After four days of competition, Malaysia’s tally stands at four golds, one silver and one bronze.
Si Shin Peng delivered two gold medals in the men’s qiangshu and jianshu, while Tan Cheong Min came out tops in the women’s nangun event.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
