Lila Stewart breaks Meaghan Benfeito’s record in 3m dive!
July 8, 2024 – The Junior Elite National Championships came to a close with a literally ‘smashing’ conclusion Sunday in Saskatoon, when Group A gold medallist Lila Stewart set a new points record in the Women’s 3m dive!
Stewart scored a grand total of 540.15 points in the final. The latter feat enabled her to blast past the record score held since 2006, by triple Olympic medallist Meaghan Benfeito, who at the time, earned a total of 538.35 points.
“It was really exciting! I had great dives in the preliminary round where I was consistent, so that gave me a lot of confidence going into the final. I knew all I had to do, was repeat my performance and everything would be fine,” commented Lila Stewart. “I just wanted to show everyone what I’ve been training for over the last few months and years!”
Stewart has also stepped onto the diving board at a few senior events this season, which she says has greatly helped her progress. “I think the competitions I’ve done with the seniors this year have given me a lot of experience in terms of what works in competition for me, but also in terms of my preparation,” said the gold medallist.
Alexa Fung (TDA), won silver in the 10m on Thursday, and in Sunday’s 3m competition, bagged another medal – this time a silver, with 475.75 points. Mathilde Laberge (CAMO), scored 441.25 points in the final, completing the 3m podium.
An athlete to watch may well be Luisa Fragoeiro-Arco, who was a guest at the event in Saskatchewan, as her points score put her into third with 453.35 – but as a guest, her results don’t count for medals.
“There were so many people here to cheer me on all weekend. In fact, all the athletes got a lot of support, it was a really great atmosphere,” added Lila Stewart, referring to the numerous enthusiastic fans gathered at the Shaw Centre.
…And that makes three for Lila Gokiert!
Gold medallist in the 3m and bronze medallist in the 10m, both earlier in the competition, Lila Gokiert wasn’t quite done with her medal haul: she clinched her third medal by winning gold in Group B on the 1m springboard.
“I was pretty confident before I started. I’m usually pretty relaxed before my 1m, but I know I can’t be too focused because that’s when it gets difficult for me, so I went into it with a nice positive attitude confident that I’m capable of diving well,” said the Calgary native.
The 1m event wasn’t even her priority in training, so when she stepped onto the springboard at the start of the final, she was relaxed and looking to really enjoy the dive. She began with a somersault and a half-turn in the pike position which earned her 54 points, the best score for a dive in the entire final. Gokiert accumulated 380.25 points in total to finish ahead of Ella Lindsay (Nepean ON, 361.75 points) and Alexandra Wood (IDIVE, 357.60 points).
Lindsay will also leave Saskatchewan with three medals, after winning gold in the 10m event on Thursday, and then bronze in the 3m event two days later.
“I find competitions really fun, and I don’t want to put additional pressure on myself. I just want to have good dives,” added Lila Gokiert.
Arnaud Corbeil returns to the podium!
Sunday also saw Arnaud Corbeil make a happy return to the podium at the Junior Elite National Championships! The Group A – 3m bronze medallist finished on the highest step of the podium in the 10m event, where he was also in Group A.
“I was aiming for a top-3 finish, but gold is even better,” said CAMO-diver Arnaud Corbeil.
The Quebecer scored 550.65 points during the final in the fight to get his gold medal. CAMO team-mate Sam Talbot followed close behind in the finals’ standings with 532.05 points, while Paul Yang (EKDC)- bronze medallist on the 1m springboard the day before – took third with 445.20 points.
Another diver to watch for in the future is Sam Vehjeraabald; while he earned a score of 561.40, this result is not included in the Canadian rankings, given that he took part in the competition as a guest.
“This morning, my basics were OK but not excellent, so I think that’s what ended up costing me a little towards the end. At the end of the week, I really wanted to work on my starts and my entries into the water. Overall, I’m happy with what I’ve achieved,” noted Arnaud Corbeil.
Corbeil’s victory brought the 2024 Speedo Junior Elite Nationals to a close in fabulous fashion; 12 podium finishes were claimed over the weekend, making divers’ luggage a little bit heavier. Diving fans will have to wait until October’s World Junior Trials in Gatineau for more thrilling action!
For complete results, please click here.
