Day One Gold for Alistair Nisbet, Daniela Durevska, and Maia Jane
Junior Elite National Championships
Montréal, July 2, 2026 – Athletes from Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia captured the three Canadian titles that were up for grabs on day one of the Junior Elite National Championships, which got underway on Thursday at the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex in Montréal. Alistair Nisbet, Daniela Durevska, and Maia Jane were the day’s three gold medallists.
Nisbet (Pointe-Claire Diving Club, Quebec) dominated the men’s Group B 3m springboard event from start to finish, maintaining his lead after each of his four dives and finishing with 432.25 points, ahead of Alberta’s Chase Shaw(Calgary Diving Club, 408.05) and BC’s Jayden Parker (iDive, 355.80).
The gold medallist felt fully confident going into the finals.
“It went very well! During training, my dives have been very consistent, so I’m glad I was able to perform the same way in competition,” noted Nisbet, who wasn’t fazed by his status as the top seed as he headed into the finals—especially since he had already won the preliminary rounds.
“I like competing under pressure. I’m happy with my performance today, and I’d like to thank my family and friends, who have been so supportive.”
Nisbet’s previous competitive experience included international events in Scotland and California, where he collected several medals, including two gold on the platform. However, he had never won a Canadian championship until today.
“I’ve won silver and bronze medals in the past, but this is the first time I’ve come in first,” said the diver, who will also take part in the platform event on Sunday.
The competition was somewhat tighter in the women’s Group A 1m finals, where young Albertan Daniela Durevska (Dive Calgary, 426.65) also held on to her lead from start to finish. Alexandra Wood (iDive, BC, 414.70) and Ella Lindsay (Nepean Ottawa Diving Club, Ontario, 413.40) followed closely behind, taking second and third place, respectively.
Fifteen-year-old Durevska was especially proud of her victory, given that she was one of the youngest competitors in the category, which included athletes up to age eighteen.
“I’m really happy, because this is my first year in this category. Winning a national title made me super happy! Going into the competition, I felt calm and relaxed. [. . .] This shows how hard I’ve worked in training, and I’m so happy that it paid off in competition, even though I was one of the youngest divers here,” explained two-time Canadian champion Durevska, who picked up her first Canadian title last year, also on the 1m springboard.
The athlete will attempt to add a third title to her tally on Saturday, in the 3m springboard event.
The last event of the day was the women’s Group B platform finals, where British Columbia’s Maia Jane (iDive) prevailed with 327.90 points, outscoring Quebec’s Sara-Jade Tessier (CAMO, 305.50) and Saskatchewan’s Lauren Vickaryous (Regina Diving Club, 293.80).
Friday’s competitions will include the men’s Group A 3m springboard finals, the men’s Group B 1m springboard finals, and the women’s Group A platform finals.
