KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 — National diver Gabriel Gilbert Daim proved he is well ahead of the pack as he retained the men’s 3 metre (m) springboard gold medal at the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in a dominating fashion.

The 20-year-old Sabahan topped the competition with 390.30 points, a 36-point advantage over the nearest competitors, including two national teammates to secure his fourth Sukma gold since his debut in Sarawak 2016.

Yesterday, the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games silver medallist successfully defended the 3m springboard synchronised event title with Julfaddli Jali, despite having paired up for the first time.

The national diver conquered the podium as expected as Sarawak’s Bertrand Rhodict clinched the silver with 353.95, while Hanis Nazirul Jaya Surya (348.60) of the Federal Territories took the bronze at the National Aquatic Centre, here.

Gabriel however felt that the level of competition in Sukma is getting more intense compared to a few years ago.

"I am satisfied with my performance in this Sukma even though there were slight mistakes. At that time, I was quite nervous but I managed to control my feelings and dive better.

"I also see many divers attempting jumps with higher-degree of difficulty,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, Hanis Nazirul retained his 1m springboard title by scoring 325.05 points, while Bertrand (318.80) and another Federal Territories athlete, Nurqayyum Nazmi Mohamad Nazim (268.40) bagged the silver and bronze medals respectively.

"I am glad to defend the 1m springboard gold. After this I hope to win two medals at the Asian Games next year and quality for the 2024 Paris Olympics,” said Hanis Nazirul.

The Sukma diving competition will be closing its curtain with the men’s platform event, tomorrow morning.

After this, both Gabriel and Hanis Nazirul are expected to compete in the International Swimming Federation (Fina) Diving Grand Prix at the same venue from November 25-27. — Bernama