Gold for Benfeito, bronze for Filion at Commonwealth Games

EDINBURGH, Scotland – Meaghan Benfeito of Montreal won the gold medal Thursday on women’s 10-m tower in diving action at the Commonwealth Games while Roseline Filion of Laval, Que., took the bronze.

Benfeito earned 372.65 points for the victory with Pandelela Rinong Pamg of Malaysia second at 368.55 and Filion third at 361.80.

 ‘’It can’t get any better than winning two gold medals at your last competition of the season,’’ said Benfeito, also the 10-m synchro champion Wednesday with Filion.  ‘’I had a really tough morning in preliminaries.  To come out on top is absolutely amazing.’’

Fiion said she exceeded her expectations to cap her  best season internationally on individual tower.

‘’Coming out with 361 points and a bronze medal is absolutely amazing,’’ she said.  ‘’It was a tough competiton with many of the world’s best and I’m pleased with my achievement. I just wanted to do good dives in the final and do a better score than in preliminaries.  I knew if I did that I stood a good shot at a medal.  ’’

Carol-Ann Ware of Beloeil, Que., was seventh at 320.80.

On men’s three-metre,  Ooi Tze Lang of Malaysia won the gold medal with 457.60 points, Jack Laugher of England second at 449.70 and  his compatriot Oliver Dingley third at 425.20.

Two-time Olympian Riley McCormick of Victoria was fourth at 413.40, François Imbeau-Dulac of St-Lazare, Que., seventh and Cody Yano of Edmonton ninth.

‘’I felt like this was an event I could have won a medal in,’’ said McCormick, who switched from tower to springboard after the 2012 Olympics.  ‘’I’m pretty disappointed.  The execution was good but I just couldn’t manage the entries, so I gave up a lot of points there.’’

After two days of competition Canada has four diving medals (two gold, a silver and a bronze).

Diving competition continues Friday.