Four Canadians Already Qualified for the Final in Montréal!
Montréal, February 29, 2024 – Canada’s athletes performed brilliantly on day one of the World Aquatics Diving World Cup in Montréal on Thursday, where four of them qualified for individual finals!
Two preliminary contests were held at the Olympic Park Sports Centre on Thursday: the women’s 3m springboard and the men’s 10m platform.
Pamela Ware obtained Canada’s highest result, finishing sixth in the women’s 3m qualifiers with 309.50 points. Last year, she clinched the silver medal in the same event, in addition to a bronze medal in the synchronized 3m competition.
Ware will not be the only Canadian to compete in front of the Montréal crowd in Saturday’s springboard finals. Aimee Wilsonalso qualified for the final with a twelfth-place finish today. The Albertan was “in shock” after amassing 279.00 points at her very first World Cup, having only learned that she would take part in the event just over a week ago.
“I was definitely more nervous at the beginning of the day! I’m glad I was able to deliver the goods and advance to the final. I didn’t know I was going to be here until the last minute, so I wasn’t as prepared as I would have liked to be,” said Wilson, who is excited at the prospect of diving in front of her family this weekend. “I’m glad I put in a decent performance, and I’m looking forward to showing everyone what I’m capable of in the final.”
Montréal’s Amélie-Laura Jasmin was also in action today. She took 13th place in the event, an important milestone in her burgeoning career. In fact, it was her first-ever World Cup.
“It was a new experience for me. It wasn’t the result I was hoping for, but I’m glad to have broken the ice,” said Jasmin, who finished the day with 245.10 points.
Two Canadians advance to men’s 10m final
Three Canadians took part in today’s men’s 10m qualifications, which were held after the women’s preliminaries.
Nathan Zsombor-Murray and Rylan Wiens, who were both in the first group to compete, both qualified for Saturday’s finals.
“Overall, I’m pretty satisfied. I messed up my third dive, but I recovered with three solid jumps and got myself into a good position to advance to the final,” said Wiens, who finished seventh in today’s qualification rounds with 431.85 points. He also praised the spectators, who kept the atmosphere lively throughout the competition.
“Diving in Canada is always amazing! The crowds are great! I’ve spent a lot of time here. It’s almost like my second home. It’s exciting to already be familiar with the place, and not have to get to know it upon arrival.”
“There’s room for improvement in all my dives. But I’ve still got more in the tank! Now I’m going to rest, and I’ll come back strong on Saturday for the final,” concluded Wiens, of Saskatchewan.
Nathan Zsombor-Murray finished ninth in the qualifications.
“I wasn’t feeling too confident after my fifth dive. I know I’m capable of better, so I’m a bit disappointed in that sense,” he explained.
However, with his sixth and final plunge from the platform, the Montrealer got back on track, earning a final total of 411.75 points.
“It always feels good to finish with a good dive, but it would have been even better if I had been satisfied with all my dives!” added Zsombor-Murray, who won bronze at last year’s event in Montréal.
Benjamin Tessier finished 17th in the 10m event with a cumulative score of 377.25 points.
“It’s a bit disappointing. I worked hard to get here, and this isn’t the result I was hoping for,” admitted the 18-year-old. “But at the same time, I’m super happy to have competed at the World Cup! This was my first big international competition, so I hope to build upon this one and keep doing better in the future.”
The Montréal World Cup will continue on Friday with the qualification rounds for additional individual competitions. Caeli McKay, Kate Miller, and Éloïse Bélanger will compete in the women’s 10m event, while Bryden Hattie and Cédric Fofanatake part in the men’s 3m.
Amélie-Laura Jasmin, Éloïse Bélanger, Benjamin Tessier, and Cédric Fofana will also join forces for the team competition.
For a detailed schedule and further information about the event, visit www.diving.ca/worldcup.
ABOUT THE EVENT
From February 29 to March 3, the world’s best athletes are in action at Montreal’s Olympic Park Sports Centre for the first leg of the World Cup aquatic diving circuit. Over 120 divers, more than 20 countries, 9 exciting finals. With the Paris Olympics just a few months away, divers will want to stand out and show that they’re in top form.
The 2024 Diving World Cup comprises three stages. After Montreal, the second stage will take place in Berlin, Germany, from March 21 to 24, and the super finale will be held in China from April 19 to 21.
The Montreal Diving World Cup would not have been possible without the help of our partners: Tourism Montreal, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Canada, the Ville de Montréal and Speedo.