Dhabitah Sabri opens up about her diving career and journey to Paris 2024

By now, any righteous Malaysian sports fan should know of Dhabitah Sabri. A household name across the country, this young talent captured the hearts of the local audience as she emerged as yet another shining star in the national diving team. Standing at just five feet tall, Dhabitah has proven herself to be a powerhouse on both the platforms and springboards. 

She has done Malaysians proud with her stellar performances at Commonwealth Games and the SEA Games, consistently medaling in both despite her young age. Eventually, Dhabitah made it to the world’s biggest stage with her Olympic debut in Rio at the 2016 Olympics. Her first appearance at the Games ended with a fourth place finish in the 3-meter synchronised springboard event. She also advanced to the finals of the 10-meter platform competition. 

 

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At Tokyo 2020, Dhabitah impressed with a glowing performance in the 3m springboard that resulted with yet another fourth place ranking. Despite her near misses, she has remained steadfast in her chase for a medal by upping her training session and pushing herself with higher difficulty levels.

However, as Paris 2024 athlete announcements were made, Malaysians were shocked by Dhabitah’s absence from the contingent. That was until 28 June, when Malaysia was awarded an unused quota entry from other nations and Dhabitah was set for her third Olympics appearance. We got the chance to chat with the decorated diver—who has since left for her Olympics training camp—about the whirlwind of emotions this journey has brought, the importance of her team’s support, and more. 

 

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WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU HEARD ABOUT THE OLYMPICS?

I started diving at a young age and knew about the Olympics quite quickly. The fact that top athletes from all around the world come together to compete was just fascinating to me as a child.

WHEN DID YOU REALISE THAT GOING TO THE OLYMPICS WAS PART OF YOUR DREAM AS A DIVER?

The dream of the Olympics was probably somewhere in the back of my mind since I started taking diving seriously. However, there was a single decisive moment when I was eight years old that I clearly remember, which cemented my Olympic dream. I was drawing pictures of the Olympic rings and pasting them on my bedroom wall. When you dedicate yourself to a sport, dreaming of competing at the Olympics comes very naturally. It’s every athlete’s goal.

 

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WHAT IS THE BIGGEST MENTAL CHALLENGE WHEN IT COMES TO PREPPING FOR THE OLYMPICS?

Preparing for the Olympics is like preparing for any competition, but on a much larger scale. For me, the biggest challenges are trying to cope with the exhaustion that comes with such intense training as well as trying to avoid injuries, which can also be mentally tiring. That’s why I think it’s really important to have a good team around you. 

My team plays a big part in my physical training but they also support me mentally. Just like Under Armour’s “Protect This House” motto talks about the importance of your team, my team keeps me positive especially when things get tough.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE IN THE TEAM AND ON THE FLIP SIDE, WHAT DOES YOUR TEAM MEAN TO YOU?

I believe that my role is really to encourage our younger athletes, especially the divers. I want to encourage them to fight harder for their success and really do their best in training so that their talent can shine. 

My team is my second family. They understand every struggle I have faced and we go through each challenge together. I may go up onto the diving board alone, but I have a big team of people supporting me. As the Under Armour motto “Protect This House” goes, my team plays a big part in motivating me to be the best diver I can be.

 

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HOW DID YOU REACT TO THE NEWS THAT YOU DIDN’T MAKE THE CUT FOR PARIS 2024?

I spent a lot of time training and trying to keep myself in the best competitive form, so I was definitely sad and disappointed when I heard the news. It took me some time to process everything but I continued to hold on to the hope that I might be able to qualify with the unused quota from World Aquatics. It was this hope that made me keep my regular training regiment going.

SIMILARLY, HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU HEARD ABOUT THE NEWS THAT YOU DID INDEED QUALIFY FOR THIS YEAR’S OLYMPICS?

My first reaction was extreme happiness and excitement, but overall there was a real mix of emotions. I’m very grateful that God has given me this opportunity to prove my abilities in my sport and to have the chance to represent my country in diving. However, it does come with some pressure and nerves.

WALK US THROUGH A TYPICAL DAY OF TRAINING DURING OLYMPIC PREPARATION SEASON.

My training schedule is pretty much the same for the Olympics as in the lead up to other schedules, but each session has increased in intensity. Right now, my pool time has gone up and I am focusing on practising my competition dives to get them as close to perfect as possible. I have two training sessions every day, except for Wednesday and Saturday, when I have only one session. Sunday is my rest day, so I have a full day off to recover from the week of training.

 

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WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR ESSENTIALS TO WEAR AND PACK IN YOUR BAG FOR COMPETITION DAYS?

I’ve always liked Under Armour gear! So I’m grateful that now, as an Under Armour athlete, most of my training gear is from the brand. For one, I absolutely love my Under Armour backpack. I take it with me everywhere I go! It has a lot of space, so it fits all my training gear from my diving towel to my swimsuit and more. I also wear shirts from Under Armour’s Meridian collection because it dries sweat really fast and is buttery smooth and stretchy, which is very important to me when I am training.

HOW DO YOU STAY FOCUSED ON COMPETITION DAYS?

When it comes down to actual competition days, the emphasis switches from physical to mental. Your body technically knows what needs to be done from the days, weeks, and months spent preparing for the competition. So on the day itself, it’s about clearing my mind of all the ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ and focusing on the positive. I use the imagery method to visualise good dives. On the other hand, to relax myself more, I listen to music to stop myself from overthinking and worrying too much.

 

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WHAT IS SOMETHING MOST MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT DIVING?

Diving is a very complicated sport. People often assume that it’s as simple as climbing up some stairs and jumping, but there is so much technique and training that goes into a good dive. From how tightly you can squeeze your body into a ball as you fall through the air to the exact second that you begin to straighten up for your entry into the water, everything requires repetitive practice and skill.

HOW DO YOU WISH TO SEE MALAYSIA’S DIVING PROGRAMME GROW IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?

I hope that moving forward, Malaysia can continue to nurture strong divers and even help people discover their hidden talents in diving at an early age. I got my start in the sport when I was really young and it was probably because of my age that I didn’t feel the fear of diving from so high up. It was that kind of bravery that helped propel me to where I am today, representing my country in diving. With that, I hope other potential athletes will have such a chance too.

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