Waterskier Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah Clinches Three Gold Medals at IWWF University World Championship
KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 (Bernama) – National waterskier Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah kicked off the 2025 season in style by clinching three gold medals at the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) University World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand.
Gold Medal Wins in Jump and Tricks Events
Aaliyah, 21, secured gold in the women’s jump event with a 44.7-metre leap in the final, beating favourite Lili Steiner of Austria, who managed 43.5m, while New Zealand’s Lily Meade took bronze with a 41.5m jump. She continued her stellar performance by winning her second gold in the women’s tricks event with an impressive score of 7,970 points, defeating another strong contender, Canada’s Hannah Stopnicki (5,760 points), and Australia’s Layne Moroney, who took bronze (5,050 points).
Overall Category Win and Sixth-Place Finish in Slalom
With two gold medals in jump and tricks, along with her sixth-place finish in slalom, Aaliyah secured her third gold medal in the overall category with a total score of 2,863.64 points. Steiner won silver in the overall category, while Lily Meade took bronze.
Coach’s Surprise and Praise
National head coach Hanifah Yoong expressed surprise at the results, as the Malaysian Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (MWWF) had initially set a best-case target of a gold in the overall category and a podium finish in jump and tricks. "We are very happy for Aaliyah as these results took away the huge pressure she had placed on herself in the past year and a half since winning third in jump at the Under-21 (U-21) World Championship in Mexico in 2023," he added.
Conclusion
Aaliyah’s impressive performance at the IWWF University World Championship is a testament to her hard work and dedication to her sport. Her three gold medals are a significant achievement, and her coach’s surprise at the results shows just how well she exceeded expectations. As the 2025 season continues, Aaliyah will look to build on her momentum and achieve even greater success.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What were Aaliyah’s results at the IWWF University World Championship?
A: Aaliyah won three gold medals in the women’s jump and tricks events, and finished sixth in the slalom event, securing her third gold medal in the overall category.
Q: Who did Aaliyah defeat to win her gold medals?
A: Aaliyah defeated Lili Steiner of Austria, Hannah Stopnicki of Canada, and Layne Moroney of Australia to win her gold medals.
Q: What were Aaliyah’s scores in the jump and tricks events?
A: Aaliyah scored 7,970 points in the tricks event and a 44.7-metre leap in the jump event, beating her competitors.