“I’m one of the best in the world, and that’s a great feeling!” – Kash Tarasoff
Junior World Championships
Montréal, August 27, 2026 – Kash Tarasoff has once again proven he can hold his own against the top divers in the world. On Thursday, the athlete from Saskatoon finished fourth in the boys’ Group A platform event at the Junior World Diving Championships in Rijeka, Croatia, with a score of 539.45 points.
His compatriot Samuel Talbot, of Longueuil, Quebec, also advanced to the finals in the same event and ended the day in seventh place (493.10).
Earlier this week, at the same championships, the two Canadian boys placed ninth in the synchronized platform competition.
In today’s event, Tarasoff finished 21.75 points behind bronze medallist Jun Nie of China (561.20). Kirill Kosimov of Russia captured the gold medal with 587.70 points, while Mark Hrytsenko of Ukraine secured silver with 583.90.
Tarasoff was not overly disappointed in not winning a medal.
“I really was at my best today! Yes, I probably could have made a few slight adjustments, but overall, I’m happy with my performance. I could maybe have won bronze, but still, I’m one of the best in the world, and that’s a great feeling,” explained the Saskatchewan native, who will still be in the junior age group next year.
“It’s been so rewarding to compete against myself, and I can safely say that these Junior World Championships have been very successful for me!”
Tarasoff will depart Croatia with the gold medal he won in the synchronized 3m event (ages 14-18) alongside Samuel McCaffrey of Quebec.
“Winning the 3m gold medal with my friend was amazing!”, exclaimed Tarasoff.
In Thursday morning’s girls’ Group B 3m qualifiers, Sara-Jade Tessier (Blainville, Quebec) and Maia Jane (Vancouver, British Columbia) finished 14th and 19th, respectively. They were thus excluded from the finals, which were reserved for the top twelve competitors.
The Junior World Championships will wind down on Friday. Chase Shaw will compete in the boys’ Group B 1m springboard event, while Lila Gokiert and Ella Lindsay take part in the girls’ Group A platform competition.
