CAELI MCKAY AND KATE MILLER WIN SILVER IN HOTLY CONTESTED FINAL
Santiago, October 23, 2023 – Caeli McKay and Kate Miller put up a spirited fight against Gabriela Agundez and Alejandra Orozco of Mexico in the synchronized 10m final at the Pan-American Games in Santiago on Monday evening. And although they were unable to achieve their goal of claiming the top spot on the podium, the Canadians will return home from Chile with a new personal best score of 310.29 points and invaluable experience as they look ahead to the Paris Olympic Games.
This was only the fourth international tournament for the Canadian duo, but that didn’t stop them from making a big impression in the final, which Agundez and Orozco won in the very last minutes of the competition with a score of 315.42. Ingrid De Oliveira and Giovanna Pedroso of Brazil completed the podium with 273.60 points.
“We kept fighting until the very end! We were up against teams that have been together for a long time, while we’ve just barely started working on our synchronized dives together. Winning a medal and setting a new record at Kate’s first big Games is amazing!” said McKay, following the competition.
McKay and Miller, who held provisional first place after two dives, made their only error of the evening on their third attempt. However, their next two dives were excellent, and the pressure began to mount for the Mexicans, who earned 80.64 points on their last attempt—the highest score of the final— and clinched the title that defending champion McKay and her former partner Meaghan Benfeito won in Lima in 2019.
“What I recall is that we had a tough dive, but we recovered right away,” explained the veteran McKay. “We pushed through the adversity and came out barely five points away from gold, despite a botched dive. That’s not so bad!”
“Our third dive is a bit tougher for me, and my adrenaline kind of took over,” added Miller. “At the same time, I feel I’ve progressed a lot, and it will be even better next time. It’s excellent experience as we head into an Olympic year, and I couldn’t have asked for more at my first major Games!”
The Canadian teammates, who finished eighth at the most recent world championships and won a silver medal in the World Cup final this summer, will have the opportunity to further refine their technique over the coming months. For the first time since they became partners, they will both train full-time in Montréal, which will allow them to set their sights even higher.
“We’ve been gaining more and more confidence in ourselves, and now we’ll be able to get to know each other even better and really learn to compete together. Our synchronization comes pretty naturally, so we’ll be able to build something solid before the Paris Olympics,” concluded McKay, proudly.
Bryden Hattie rounds off top ten
Also on Monday evening, Bryden Hattie competed in the men’s 3m springboard final. The British Columbian, who finished tenth in the qualification rounds, earned the same rank a few hours later, with a final total of 377.15 points.
“I’m really happy with the way I performed tonight. I felt better on the springboard, and although I finished with two relatively difficult dives, I’m satisfied with my performance. I’m feeling more and more confident, which bodes well for the future,” explained Hattie, who was competing in his first Pan-American Games in Santiago.
“It’s a pretty amazing experience, and I’m going to remember it for a long time! I was even cheered on by the Chileans, many of whom now follow me on TikTok. I’ll be here for another few days, and I’m going to enjoy them fully,” he chuckled, before joining the rest of the Canadian team.
Thomas Ciprick, who came out of the preliminary rounds in 17th place, did not advance to the big final, which was won by Osmar Olvera of Mexico (536.15).
Competition will resume on Tuesday morning with the women’s 3m springboard qualification rounds. Pamela Ware and Mia Vallée, who respectively won gold and silver in the 1m event on Sunday, will once again vie for the podium.