Eight Canadians Qualify for Finals in Calgary
May 2, 2024 – The host country of the diving Canada Cup made the most of day one of competition in Calgary on Thursday, securing eight spots in the individual finals this weekend.
Cédric Fofana and Olivier Gauthier were the first to make their presence felt during the event, which is being held at the MNP Community & Sport Centre. In the men’s 3m competition, the two Québécois came out of the preliminary rounds with respective scores of 363.10 and 360.50, putting them in fourth and fifth place for the session.
More importantly, however, their performances propelled them directly to the event’s big final, scheduled for Saturday, in the company of the other athletes who made the top six.
“It’s definitely a relief. I would have liked to do better, because my first three dives went really well, but I’m still glad it was enough to let me advance directly to the final,” said Fofana, who hopes to use this competition as preparation for the National Championships, which will be held in a few weeks’ time.
“I really wasn’t expecting this!” exclaimed Gauthier as he exited the water. “It’s a lot like the junior competitions, only at a higher level. It’s up to you to decide whether you’ll let yourself be influenced by that or whether you’ll just do your own thing. I would say that I did my own competition, without worrying too much about the others. It’s a unique experience, and a lot of fun!”
A few hours later, Thomas Ciprick, Tazman Abramowicz, Ernest Braitenbach, and Luc Goertzenhad to go through the repechage in their attempt to secure one of the six remaining spots in the big final.
Ciprick (381.60), Abramowicz (354.75), and Braitenbach (351.60) succeeded in doing so, finishing third, fourth, and fifth, respectively. As for Goertzen (290.25), he had to content himself with 12th place.
“The preliminaries were difficult for me, a bit like they were at the Pan-American Games. I felt exactly the same way I felt then, and it was hard for me to shake it off, but I was determined to overcome the challenge,” explained Ciprick, who began his day in 15th place. “It felt great to bounce back like that and improve my cumulative score in just a few hours. And to do so at home, in Calgary, feels really great. Now I’m looking forward to the finals on Saturday!”
Elaena Dick, Katelyn Fung, and Julianne Boisvertwere the Canadian women in action on Thursday. In the preliminary rounds of the 10m platform event, none of them managed to finish in the top six and automatically advance to the final.
It was a completely different story in the repechage, however. The three Canadians dominated the competition, taking the top three spots. Dick (318.15) led the charge, followed by Fung (313.60) and Boisvert (267.90).
The action will resume on Friday in Calgary, where several Canadian athletes will attempt to qualify for an individual final.
Mathilde Laberge, Margo Erlam, Lila Stewart, Amélie-Laura Jasmin, and Aimee Wilson will compete in the 3m event, while their teammates Ciro Mejia, Luc Goertzen, and Arnaud Corbeil battle it out on the 10m tower.
Saturday and Sunday will see the individual and synchronized finals.
For all the Canada Cup diving results, click here.
To live stream the event, click here.
