Sport Shorts: Dive Right In
Off to London: Canada has qualified for two additional diving events at the London 2012 Games. Jennifer Abel (Laval, Que.) won the bronze medal in women’s three-metre springboard Saturday at the FINA World Aquatic Championships, finishing with 365.10 points. Teammate Émilie Heymans (Brossard, Que.), who won silver with Abel last week in the three-metre synchronized springboard, also advanced to the final. In addition, Meaghan Benfeito (Montreal, Que.) and Roseline Filion (Laval, Que.) came in fourth and eighth place respectively in the final of the women’s 10-metre platform. With all four women reaching the final round of their respective events, Canada is guaranteed two spots in each at next summer’s Olympic Games.
Synchro Success: The aquatic medal haul in Shanghai wasn’t done with the completion of diving. Canada’s synchronized swimming team also reached the podium winning bronze in the free combination event. The 10-member team garnered 96.150 points, behind host China, and Russia. It marked Canada’s first synchro medal of the Championship, after two previous fourth-place finishes by Marie-Pier Boudreau-Gagnon (Montreal, Que.) in the solo and duet events, where she competed with Élise Marcotte (Ancienne-Lorette, Que.).
Record Setter: The swimming portion of the World Championship is also underway and Canada has begun to make some noise. Sinead Russell (Oakville, Ont.) beat her own Canadian record Monday in the women’s 100-m backstroke. Coming in at 59.80 seconds earlier in the day, Russell lowered the mark to 59.60 seconds, becoming the first Canadian woman to finish the event in less than a minute.
The World Championship continues through to the end of the weekend, so be sure to vote in our homepage poll, and tell us where you think Canada will rank in the final medal standings!
National Pressure: Adam Hadwin nearly made history at the RBC Canadian Open over the weekend. The Abbostsford, B.C. native entered the final round of the tournament on Sunday one shot back of the lead, and was looking to become the first Canadian to win the event in 57 years. Hadwin, who had Canadians buzzing with excitement at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, finished tied for fourth place.
Switching Gears: Ski Jumping Canada has found its new leader. Jeff Pain, an Olympic silver-medalist and one of Canada’s best athletes in skeleton, has been named the High Performance Director of women’s ski jumping. The two-time World Champion, who will lead a team of coaches, athletes, and recruitment system, will also be in charge the men’s ski jumping and Nordic combined programs.
Strengthening the Game: Canadian women playing hockey have a bright future on the horizon. WinSport Canada announced a $2-million donation last week, allowing female hockey players priority access to one of four rinks within the newly-created $231-million Athletic and Ice Complex at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. The new centre will be home to various youth development programs and the Canadian National Women’s Hockey Team.
