Canadian divers win two silver at Gillette Canada Cup
Canadian divers win two silver at Gillette Canada Cup
GATINEAU, Que. –Jennifer Abel of Laval and the synchro tandem of Roseline Filion and Meaghan Benfeito, all Olympic medallists in 2012, earned two silver on Saturday at the Gillette Canada Cup Grand Prix diving competition.
On women’s three-metre springboard, Ying Wei was one of three Chinese winners on the day with 356.30 points. Abel, who wowed the crowd with her tremendous height on take-offs, followed at 339.60 and Uschi Freitag of the Netherlands was thirdat 332.15. Pamela Ware of Beloeil, Que., was fifth.
Abel emerged to the interview area with a giant smile on her face.
“I’m extremely pleased,” said Abel, third in London on three-metre synchro with Emilie Heymans who was a medal presenter here on Saturday. “I was solid from prelims, through the semis to the final. I was subpar on my first two dives today but I came back with solid dives.”
The highlight for Abel was her reverse in the last round in the final. It was one she struggled with last season and now she puts it as her finale.
“It’s still hit and miss but today I hit it,” she said. “I never thought that one day it would be the last dive on my list. I’ve changed a lot of things this year including the order of my dives. But I felt comfortable here, especially being at home. That’s a reflection of gaining confidence and having experience.”
On women’s 10-metre synchro, Qian Ren and Siyu Ji of China were the victors with 332.52 points. Benfeito and Filion followed with a season-best 323.67 and are four-for-four in podium appearances this season in international competition.
Giovana Almeida and Ingrid Olivetta of Brazil were third at 275.66 and Carol-Ann Ware of Beloeil, Que., and Eloise Bélanger of Montreal fourth at 264.24.
‘’Our buildup this season has been on track and we had our best performance of the year today,’’ said Filion. ‘’Our synchronization was really improved especially on our first two dives. The work we are putting into it is slowly starting to show on the scoreboard.’’
There may be no Olympics or world championships in 2014 but is still an important season for the Canadian divers. The FINA World Cup is the world ranking event and there is also the high profile Commonwealth Games which are back-to-back in July.
‘’We’re in the second year of the Olympic cycle and we’re trying to make the new techniques we learned last year come more naturally this season,’’ said Filion. ‘’So the World Cup is going to show where we stand against the best in the world.
‘’We’d love to win a medal at all our events this year. It’s something we’ve never done before in one season.’’
On men’s 10-metre tower, the two Chinese delivered a spectacular performance for gold and silver. Liang Huo scored one perfect mark en route to the gold with 534.35 points. Yanquan Zhang earned five perfect 10’s, but missed a dive as well and settled for silver at 491.95. Steele Johnson of the U.S., was third at 474.70. Maxim Bouchard of St. Constant, Que., was fifth at 414.85.
In men’s three-metre synchro, Philippe Gagné of Montreal and François Imbeau-Dulac of St-Lazare, Que., were fourth and Marc Sabourin-Germain of Montreal and Bouchard were sixth.
Competition ends Sunday at the Centre Sportif with four more finals.
RESULTS
Saturday’s leading results at the Gillette Canada Cup Grand Prix diving competition, at the Centre Sportif in Gatineau, Que:
MEN (all finals)
Three-metre synchro: 1. Julian Sanchez and Carlos Moreno, Mexico, 373.63;2. Sun and Li Shixin, 367.70; 3. Haram Woo and Jin Yong Kim, South Korea, 365.31; 4. Philippe Gagné, Montreal and François Imbeau-Dulac, St-Lazare, Que., 361.77; 6. Marc Sabourin-Germain, Montreal and Maxim Bouchard St. Constant, Que., 355.20.
10-metre: 1. Liang Huo, China, 534.35; 2.Yanquan Zhang, China, 491.95; Steele Johnson, U.S., 474.70; 5. Maxim Bouchard, St. Constant, Que., 414.85.
WOMEN
10-m synchro: 1.Qian Ren and Siyu Ji, China, 332.52; 2. Roseline Filion, Laval, Que.,and Meaghan Benfeito, Montreal, 323.67; 3. Giovana Almeida and Ingrid Olivetta, Brazil, 275.66; 4. Carol-Ann Ware, Beloeil, Que., and Eloise Bélanger, Montreal, 264.24.
Three-metre: 1. Ying Wei, China, 356.30; 2. Jennifer Abel, Laval, Que., 339.60; 3. Uschi Freitag, Netherlands, 332.15; 5. Pamela Ware, Beloeil, Que., 312.25.
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Full results and information: http://www.divinggrandprixgatineau.com/
