Ainslee, 14, earns historic semi-final berth

It is her World Aquatics Championships (WCH) debut and 14-year-old Ainslee Kwang made sure it will be one to remember by becoming the first Singaporean diver to qualify for the semi-finals.

- Melvyn Teoh

In the preliminary round of the women's 10m platform on the morning of July 30, the Secondary 2 student from Methodist Girls' School finished 13th out of 37 with a personal best 285.00 points after five dives. Her previous PB was 284.75. Only the top 18 divers go through to the semi-finals on July 31 at the OCBC Aquatic Centre.

China's Chen Yuxi was the top qualifier with 396.50 points, ahead of compatriot Xie Peiling (337.50) and North Korea's Jo Jin Mi (323.50).

On her qualification, Ainslee said: "Honestly, I was aiming for it, but I was never really confident about if I was going to make it or not.

"It hasn't struck me yet that I actually did so well, but at the same time, I'm nervous about whether I can keep up this standard.

"I'll try my best, but we'll see, because diving is really unpredictable."

Her coach Charlie Tu called her semi-final qualification "an incredible moment for all of us", adding: "Ainslee's achievement is a testament to her hard work and the support from everyone around her.