Filion’s exceptional season continues with bronze at World Series
Filion’s exceptional season continues with bronze at World Series
WINDSOR, Ont. – in her 11th season with the Canadian national team Roseline Filion of Laval, Que., appears en route to the best year of her career in the individual 10-metre event after earning a bronze medal on Sunday to conclude the fifth stop on the FINA World Series circuit.
Xiaohui Huang led China to a 1-2 finish with 440.75 points. She earned at least one perfect 10 score on three of her five dives in the final. Huixia Liu was second at 395.40 and Filion followed at 365.90 for her second individual World Series medal this season.
"I’ve been competing for a long time and I’m still showing that I can improve," said Filion, 26, a two-time Olympian who set a personal best mark last month. "Experience and maturity have certainly been key factors. I made a lot of changes last season and this year I’m feeling more comfortable."
Canadian champion Meaghan Benfeito of Montreal took fourth spot in her semifinal for ninth overall. Filion was in a deep field for her semi that included Benfeito.
"I knew just getting out of my semi would be difficult,’’ said Filion, who won Olympic bronze with Benfeito on 10-m synchro in 2012. ‘’Once in the final I just let myself go and kept the focus maintaining a strong technique."
It was another 1-2 Chinese finish on men’s 10-m tower with Yuan Cao taking gold and Bo Qiu the silver. Vincent Riendeau of Pointe-Claire, Que., was ninth overall in his World Series debut.
China dominated the medal count with seven gold and three silver in eighth events. Canada followed with a gold, silver and two bronze. Germany and Britain each had two silver and a bronze.
On Friday, Benfeito and Filion earned gold on 10-m synchro and Jennifer Abel of Laval and Pamela Ware of Beloeil, Que., silver on three-metre synchro. On Saturday, Abel added a bronze on three-metre.
This was the first time a World Series event was held in Canada. Windsor will also host World Series events for the next three years.
The sixth and final stop on the circuit is next weekend in Monterrey, Mexico.
More information: http://www.divingworldserieswindsor.com/
