A plunge too deep: Bertrand Rhodict in action during the 10m platform individual competition. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: It was a plunge that Bertrand Rhodict took wholeheartedly, but what came up to the surface was far from what he expected.
For the 19-year-old debutant who had put much effort into his preparations, failing to get beyond the preliminary round of the men’s 10m platform event was hard to take.
But the Sarawakian is keeping his chin up. He believes a good rest is all he needs to come back with renewed energy.
The 19-year-old did not manage to make it to the semi-finals after finishing 25th out of 26 divers in the preliminaries.
Bertrand was the only male diver from Malaysia to qualify for the Olympics and was disappointed for not making a better impression but has vowed to bounce back after he has taken a much needed break.
“When I first qualified last year in July, I knew it was going to be a tough journey until the Olympics and yes it really was,” said Bertrand via social media.
“I had a lot of ups and downs. I had to leave the country for four months for an intensive training camp.
“During that period of time, I discovered a lot of things that I did not expect I had to face and it was definitely a new learning experience for me.
“I was being so hard on myself for the past months because I want to do well in this competition.
“I poured my blood, sweat and tears into this sport because of how much I love it but right now I need to take a break from it.
“I need to listen to my body and take a good rest before coming back into this sport.
‘‘I will definitely come back with a better mindset and will be ready to give my fullest possible energy to it.
“I appreciate every opportunity that was given. There will be a better version of me,” added Bertrand.
Bertrand has age on his side and proved that he has the talent to shine not just in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics but also in other tournaments after finishing 10th in the World Championships last year.
The youngster qualified for the Paris Games after reaching the final in the world meet and will get better with more exposure and experience.
