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Shu Wai's challenge to beat old rival
(Malay Mail Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)AN Olympic champion is the obstacle Ng Shu Wai's has to overcome if he is to be crowned Commonwealth Games floor exercise champion later this month.
The 21-year-old from Taiping singled out Kyle Shewfelt, who won Canada's first-ever Olympic artistic gymnastics medal in Athens two years ago as his biggest rival.
Shewfelt scored 9.787 points en route to winning the Olympic gold, just edging out Marian Dragulescu on a tie-break after the Romanian had the same score.
"Kyle will be the favourite for the title as he is the Olympic champion," said Shu Wai, who won a silver in this event at the Manchester Games four years ago.
"Kyle beat me to the gold four years ago and I would love to get my revenge in Melbourne.
"Having said that, I must admit it won't be easy and I would need to keep my cool in the heat of competition if I'm to get the better of him." Shu Wai, who has had various training stints in China, said his latest coach Xing Aowei - who took charge in January - has been busy preparing him for the new code of points which will be implemented in Melbourne.
"The world federation have adopted a new code of points.
The judges will use a different set of criteria to evaluate the athletes," said Shu Wai, during a reception at the Australian High Commissioner's residence yesterday.
"I have never taken part in competitions where the new system has been in place and my coach has been helping me out in this aspect." Shu Wai is one of the five men in the artistic gymnastics team.
The others are his younger brother Shu Mun, Yap Kiam Bun, Onn Kwang Tung and Ooi Wei Siang.
Shu Wai is down to compete in all the events - team, individual all-around, vault, parallel bars, horizontal bars, floor exercise, rings and pommel horse.
"We have a pretty strong team this year and we hope to win our first men's artistic team medal," said Shu Wai.
Meanwhile, Nurul Fatiha Abdul Hamid will have to shoulder the burden of carrying the women's team.
She is the most experienced gymnast but hopes of her winning a medal are slim.
At the last Games in Manchester, besides the silver from Shu Wai, Malaysia also won a bronze through Loke Yik Siang in the pommel horse.
The women did not compete.
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