CAELI MCKAY AND KATE MILLER: A DAY OF FIRSTS
Montréal, August 4, 2023 – The Diving World Cup Super Final in Berlin (Germany) will long remain in the memory of dynamic duo Caeli McKay and Kate Miller. They won their first podium together – Friday’s silver medal on the 10m platform – as well as Miller’s first-ever medal on the international senior scene.
Provisionally fourth after their first dive, McKay and Miller then took charge of the competition, with three excellent dives that propelled them into third place with one last dive to go.
The Canadians kept the momentum going on their final platform dive: McKay and Miller scored 69.12 points – bringing their total to 288 points, and edging out Britain’s Lois Toulson and Andrea Spendolini Sireix (285.90 points) for second place.
« This first medal with Kate is really great for us. We were super motivated when we arrived here in Berlin, and we wanted to demonstrate results, after all the hard work we’ve put in over the past few weeks. We’re still learning a lot together and we’re very proud of this result, » commented Caeli McKay.
China’s Hongchan Quan and Yuxi Chen (362.76 points) settled into first place on their first dive and never looked back.
At the World Championships, McKay and Miller finished eighth.
Saturday, stay tuned because Caeli McKay will be back in action in Berlin for the individual event on the 10m platform. Bryden Hattie will be in the qualifying round on 3m springboard.
Another success for Vallée and Ware!
Like their teammates McKay and Miller, Mia Vallée and Pamela Ware took second place on the 3m springboard podium Friday. Despite solid dives, the Canadians found themselves in fifth place after three efforts, but were able to pull out all the stops to turn things around in their favour.
They scored 65.10 and 69.30 on their last two springboard dives to climb to second place and claim the silver medal, their best result as a team since their partnership began last May.
« We knew we could do well today (Friday). We were consistent all day, and we finished on a high with our last dive. It’s incredible and I’m happy to have this experience with Pamela, » noted Mia Vallée.
« I never look at the scores during the competition itself, but Pamela did. After our last dive, I was sure we were going to be on the podium, but I didn’t know we were that far away until that last jump. We concentrated on what we could control and that made all the difference, » she added.
The two Quebecers took third place at the Montreal World Cup last May, in their very first competition together. However, things proved more difficult at the World Championships a few short weeks ago, where they finished fifth in the sychro event. Vallée also finished 21st individually on the 3m springboard at Worlds. Friday’s silver medal was therefore greatly appreciated by the 22-year-old athlete.
« I didn’t have a very good World Championships, and I needed to be successful here from the very first event. Pamela helped me a lot with that, and I think I’ve regained my confidence for the rest of the competition. The medal really helps! » commented Vallée.
Vallée and Ware were second only to China’s Yiwen Chen and Yani Chang (311.19 points). Coming in for third place, Americans Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook were just 1.68 points behind the Canadian duo.
Vallée and Ware will both be in action again on Sunday in the individual 3m springboard competition.
Silver for Carlson at Takachiho
Molly Carlson remained in Japan after the World Championships came to a close, in order to take part in the Red Bull High-Flying World Series, on the Takachiho Cliffs.
A bronze medallist two weeks ago at Worlds, Carlson followed up her success with another second-place podium finish with a total of 362.3 points.
« What a competition! The scenery was breathtaking. I definitely feel more comfortable on the platforms, but it was fun to dive from cliff edges for the event. I didn’t feel any pressure and I think that’s why I got such a good result, » commented Carlson.
The Ontarian was joined on the podium by Australians Rhiannan Iffland (379.3 points) and Xantheia Pennisi (317.1 points), gold and bronze medallists respectively.
Also in action at Takachiho, Jessica Macauley took seventh place, while Simone Leathead came ninth.