Sam McCaffrey Finally Has the Last Word
Junior Elite National Championships
Montréal, July 5, 2026 – For several years now, Sam McCaffrey and Arnaud Corbeilhave often gone head to head at their various diving competitions. And although Corbeil bested his good friend in Friday’s 3m event at the Junior Elite National Championships, it was McCaffrey who came out on top in Sunday’s 1m contest.
The diver from Pointe-Claire demonstrated impressive consistency during Sunday’s finals at the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex. His third and fourth dives—which earned him scores of 67.50 and 74.40—secured his spot on the top step of the podium, and he finished the day with a total of 573.65 points.
“I’m really proud and happy about this win. I work really hard in training, so I’m glad to see it pay off in my competition results. Arnaud and I have a great rivalry. He’s always one of my toughest opponents, but we’re very good friends outside of the tank,” McCaffrey said. “But I won’t lie—it feels good to have beaten him! We always push each other to do better, that’s for sure. If Arnaud wasn’t around, I wouldn’t be as competitive. Just knowing he’s around makes me want to give it my all.”
Corbeil (CAMO) came in second with 535.10 points, while Jackson Congdon (BDA) finished third with 508.40.
Earlier this weekend, McCaffrey also met the qualifying criteria for the Junior World Championships. The official team roster will be announced in the coming weeks, but the Québécois already feels very proud to have achieved that objective.
“My main goal has really been to meet all the criteria that will give me a chance to take part in the Junior Worlds. I’m very happy, and I’m very excited at the prospect,” he concluded.
In the women’s Group B 3m springboard event, Sara-Jade Tessier added a second gold medal to her collection. The Québécoise, who won gold in the 1m event and silver on the platform, wrapped up the 3m competition with 408.30 points, following a tight battle with Paulina Mikriukova of Gatineau.
“Things went pretty well today, and over the entire weekend. I think I could have performed a bit better, both today and in my other competitions. There are a few small details I’d like to improve in the future. Although I never check the standings, I knew the finals today were very close. That forced me to stay focused, so that I wouldn’t flub any of my dives,” explained Tessier.
Yolanda Xie Yiyao (iDive) finished third with 362.35 points.
Later in the day, Chase Shaw (Calgary) also added a gold medal to his collection, finishing first in the Group B platform finals. His score of 431.10 placed him ahead of Alistair Nisbet (PCDC) and Nicolas Landry (Revolution), who finished second and third, respectively.
The Junior Elite National Championships wound down with the mixed team event, which was won by Daniela Iasinka, Samuel Talbot, Kelly-Ann Tessier, and Sara-Jade Tessier—who named their team the CAMO Baddest Baddies for the occasion.
Click here for the full results of the Junior Elite National Championships.
