Semi-Final Finishes for Margo Erlam, Carson Paul, and Kate Miller
World Cup Super Final
Montréal, May 3, 2026 – Alberta’s Margo Erlam posted Canada’s top result on the final day of the World Cup Super Final in Beijing. In Sunday’s individual 3m event, which was decided in knockout tournament format, Erlam advanced to the semi-finals with a total of 276.30 points. The Olympian finished third in that round, where the top two finishers from each of the two semi-finals advanced to the medal rounds.
In her first round, Erlam had been up against her countrymate Sonya Palkhivala of Quebec; the two divers earned respective scores of 178.50 and 165.45.
“I’m really happy with the way I performed today! It was nowhere near my best score ever, but given the circumstances, I’m very happy,” said Erlam, who has been fighting a cold ever since she arrived in China, and was bedridden for several days.
“Diving against a teammate was exciting, but it was also a bit sad, since only one of us could advance. My coach Mary [Carroll] wasn’t here at the competition, so that made things a bit harder for me, but we kept in contact via text message. But seeing my mom and dad here to cheer me on, at a time when they’re celebrating their own major milestone, was amazing,” said the diver, referring to the fact that her parents took advantage of their trip to China to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary.
“Each event provides its own lessons. I know I need to work on my confidence and keep a positive attitude at my next competitions,” concluded Erlam.
China’s Jia Chen and Yiwen Chen took gold and silver in the 3m finals, while Australia’s Maddison Keeney captured bronze.
Also on Sunday, Matt Cullen and Benjamin Tessier were both halted in the first round of the men’s 10m platform contest. Cullen (200.20) was eliminated by Great Britain’s Euan McCabe (233.80), while Tessier (189.05) was bested by Ukraine’s Oleksii Sereda (241.80).
Saturday saw the men’s 3m and women’s 10m individual competitions.
Carson Paul and Nathan Zsombor-Murray competed in the men’s 3m event.
Paul began his day with a head-to-head contest against Jack Ryan of the USA, whom he edged out by 1.45 points, with a total of 197.00. The British Columbian, competing in the first Super Final of his career, went on to finish fourth in his semi-final group with a cumulative score of 386.45.
“I like this competition format. I’ve competed in similar events on the university circuit. Diving here at the Water Cube and representing Canada in front of the athletes, coaches, and team members was a privilege. Of course, there are always certain elements that could be improved, but the thing that stands out for me the most this week is what this sport offers me. Taking part in a high-level competition, with friends and family cheering me on, makes me so proud, and I want to make them proud in return.”
Zsombor-Murray was eliminated in the first round by Jules Bouyer of France. The Montrealer, who switched to the 3m springboard after the Paris Olympics, scored 190.15 points, while his opponent finished with 233.65.
China’s Wang Zongyuan, silver medallist at the Paris Olympics, won gold, followed by his compatriot Zheng Jiuyuan and Mexico’s Osmar Olvera Ibarra.
In the women’s 10m event, Kate Miller also advanced to the semi-finals. She prevailed in her head-to-head heat against Italy’s Sarah Jodoin Di Maria by a margin of 26 points, before finishing third in her semi-final group.
Katelyn Fung (210.90) was eliminated by Germany’s Pauline Alexandra Pfeif (216.10), who went on to win the bronze medal later in the competition. The gold medal went to Jiang Linjing of China, while the silver medal was awarded to Anna Konanykhina of Russia.
