DIVING CANADA NOMINATES 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES TEAM
Diving Canada is pleased to nominate twelve talented athletes and four experienced coaches to the 2018 Commonwealth Games team. The diving contingent will feature Canada’s most decorated divers, in addition to some of the country’s brightest young stars.
"As the top diving nation in the history of the Commonwealth Games, Canada will look to repeat its seven medals, including three gold from 2014," said Chef de Mission Claire Carver-Dias. "Glasgow gold medalists Meaghan Benfeito and Jennifer Abel will lead the impressive team of athletes in Gold Coast."
Olympic medalists Meaghan Benfeito (28, Montreal, QC), who was named Canadian flag bearer earlier this week, and Jennifer Abel (26, Laval, QC) will be the team’s veterans in Australia. While both athletes already have already participated in three Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast will mark their first multi-sport games with their synchro partners Caeli McKay (18, Calgary, AB | 10m synchro) and Mélissa Citrini-Beaulieu (22, St-Constant, QC | 3m synchro).
“Our athletes will be focussing on peak performances in their targeted Olympic events against the diving powerhouses of Australia, Great-Britain and Malaysia,” says Mitch Geller, Chief Technical Officer at Diving Canada. “The Gold Coast Games will provide both our senior and our NextGen athletes with essential multi-Games experience in the run-up to Tokyo 2020.”
Canada has won a total of 88 diving medals at the Commonwealth Games since 1966, including 31 gold, 29 silver and 28 bronze.
Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games medalists Pamela Ware (25, Montreal, QC) and Vincent Riendeau (21, Pointe-Claire, QC), as well as fellow Olympians Philippe Gagné (20, Ville Mont-Royal, QC) and François Imbeau-Dulac (27, St-Lazare, QC) will also bring a lot of depth to the group.
Rounding out the roster are 2017 FISU Games medalists Celina Toth (25, St. Thomas, ON) and Tyler Henschel (23, Sherwood Park, AB), as well as 2017 Pan American Junior medalists Bryden Hattie (16, Victoria, BC) and Rylan Wiens (16, Saskatoon, SK).
Mary Carroll (Saskatoon, SK), Aaron Dziver (Terrebonne, QC), Tommy McLeod (Victoria, BC) and Arturo Miranda (Montreal, QC) will be coaching the Canadian team in Australia.
The entire Canadian Team will be officially announced by Commonwealth Games Canada in March 2018. The 2018 Games will take place April 4-15, 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia, with 70 participating countries and over 4000 athletes taking part.
About Commonwealth Games Canada
Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) is the international franchise holder for the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth movement in Canada, and an active, contributing member of the Canadian sport community. The mission of CGC is to strengthen sport within Canada and throughout the Commonwealth by participating in the Commonwealth Games and by using sport as a development tool. Visit www.commonwealthgames.ca for information.
About Diving Plongeon Canada
Diving Plongeon Canada (DPC) was established in 1967 as a not-for-profit organization to promote the growth and awareness of the sport in this country. As a member of FINA, the world’s governing body of aquatic sports, DPC contributes to the development of globally accepted standards of excellence in diving and supports the rules and regulations of international competition. Representing nine provincial diving associations, 67 local diving clubs and close to 4,000 high performance athletes, DPC shares a national commitment to advance the art and sport of diving and to position Canada as the number one diving nation of the world. For information, visit www.diving.ca.
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For more information:
Maelle Dancause
Manager, Communications
Diving Plongeon Canada
C + 514-475-4540 | maelle@diving.ca
