BY ABS CBN News,

Rexel Ryan Fabriga booked a ticket to the Beijing Olympics with a solid performance in the FINA Diving World Cup last Monday at the Water Cube in Beijing.

The 22-year-old gold medalist in the 10m platform of the 2007 SEA Games in Thailand finished fourth in the third phase of the same event with his 410.4 points.

The top six divers in the event were given tickets to the Beijing Olympics in August.

Fabriga’s entry came just three days after Sheila Mae Perez earned her own slot in the 3m springboard. It will be her second Olympics stint.

Fabriga also raised the number of Filipino qualifiers to this year’s Olympics to 11.

The others are Miguel Molina, James Walsh, Ryan Arabejo, Daniel Coakley and Christel Simms of swimming; Tshomlee Go and Mary Antoinette Rivero of taekwondo; boxer Harry Tañamor and archer Mark Javier.

"For our divers this has been a long and winding road to Beijing. What I am surprised about is that our synchronized teams have not qualified for the Olympics," said RP aquatics chief Mark Joseph.

"But we accept with humility whatever God’s providence for our divers is. I have been a tough disciplinarian on our divers and it has paid off," said Joseph.

Aquatics delivered nine gold medals for the Philippines in the last SEA Games in Thailand. As it is, it also has the most number of athletes to the Beijing Olympics.

"We thank the PSC (Philippine Sports Commission) for all the support given our divers to train in China before this World Cup, and over the years," said Joseph.

Fabriga’s entry into the Olympic team is redemption of sorts for the 5-foot-5 native of Zamboanga City, after failing to win the gold in his favorite event during the 2005 SEA Games in Manila.

Fabriga was the sentimental favorite to win the 10m platform gold in 2005 but a hurting shoulder made him flunk the mandatory handstand required of the divers.

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