KUALA LUMPUR: National water ski queen Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah finished the competition at the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) World Under-21 Waterski Championships in Chapala, Mexico by winning the bronze medal in the jump discipline today.
According to the IWWF website, the 19-year-old surfer, who went on the podium for the first time on the prestigious stage, recorded 45.2 metres (m) to finish third.
Chilean surfer Agustina Varas who recorded 49.5m took first place while Sade Ferguson from Australia came in second with 45.3m.
Aaliyah, who is a student at Florida Southern College and a Sime Darby Foundation (YSD) scholarship recipient, said the victory was sweet for her because she had to juggle her time between studying and training to prepare for the tournament.
“I am so excited as I went all out for my first world podium here,” she said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, national surfing coach Hanifah Yoong Yin Fah said Aaliyah’s achievement was very meaningful because she was not only the first Malaysian but also the first Asian surfer to win a medal at the IWWF water skiing world championships.
For the record, Aaliyah missed out on a bronze medal in the overall discipline at the tournament when she finished in fourth place. -BERNAMA
