Divers leave Dubai with five medals, Abel takes three
Feature photo via FINA Diving World Series – Dubai on Facebook
Canada’s divers finished its World Series stop in Dubai with five medals after picking up a silver on the third day in the mixed 10m synchro.
Meaghan Benfeito and Vincent Riendeau finished as they had a week earlier in the World Series opener in Beijing, second to the Chinese competitors Lian Jie and Tai Xiaohu. The Canadians’ score of 335.58 was an improvement from a week ago, but still behind China’s new season’s best of 363.12. Alejandra Orozco and Jahir Ocampo of Mexico were third with 314.10.
(First two from the left) Meaghan Benfeito and Vincent Riendeau at the medal ceremony on final day in Dubai. Photo via FINA Diving World Series – Dubai on Facebook.
Canada leaves Dubai with four silver and a bronze medal. Jennifer Abel, who found the podium three times, won Canada’s only individual medal over the weekend, a bronze in the 3m springboard.
The next World Series stop is in Kazan, Russia from April 24 to 26.
RELATED: Benfeito leads Canada in Beijing
Friday
On Day 2 of the three-day FINA Diving World Series in Dubai, Jennifer Abel took to the podium twice, once in an individual competition and then in the mixed synchro.
In the women’s 3m event Abel’s 366.50 was enough for a bronze medal, behind the dominant Chinese pair Shi Tingmao (398.70) and He Zi (377.50), who finished 1-2 in the opening World Series event in Beijing. Pamela Ware – who finished sixth in Dubai – had edged Abel for bronze in Beijing.
Jennifer Abel hits the water on Day 2 in Dubai. Photo via FINA Diving World Series – Dubai on Facebook.
Abel’s next medal arrived in the 3m mixed synchro, this time a silver with Francois Imbeau-Dulac, the same placement they achieved in Beijing. He Zi and Chen Aisen of China won the event but Ukraine’s Maxzym Dolgov and Viktoriya Kesar beat out the Mexicans for third place.
Thursday
Filion and Benfeito diving in Dubai. Photo via FINA Diving World Series – Dubai on Facebook.
Canadian divers are off to a great start on the first day of the FINA Diving World Series stop in Dubai.
Coming off five medals in Beijing last week, Team Canada hit the water gracefully with two medals on first day of competition in the 10m and 3m events.
First to hit the podium were Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion in the women’s 10m synchro. Their silver medal with a score of 321.27 was agonizingly close to the Chinese winners Chen Ruolin and Liu Huixia (324.66). Last week in Beijing, the Canadians were third but in Dubai, the Malaysian pair of Jun Hoong Cheong and Mun Yee Leong (315.18) were beaten by Beinfeito and Filion.
Filion and Benfeito (left) on the podium in Dubai. Photo via FINA Diving World Series – Dubai on Facebook.
“It was so close, I made a mistake on the fourth dive, if I did a normal one like I usually do it would have been an easy gold for us,” Filion said. “But it’s part of the learning process. The most important thing is that we move forward. We’re a lot closer now and we’ll get the one that really counts.”
Benfeito added, “I looked at the scoreboard, I knew we were close. Knowing that we made a big mistake like that and that we were only 3 points away proves that we are getting closer and we are working hard. I think in the next competition it’s just going to get better.”
RELATED: Benfeito leads Canada to five medals in Beijing
The second medal of the day arrived in the 3m synchro courtesy of Jennifer Abel and Pamela Ware (315.51), second to Shi Tingmao and Wu Minxia of China (338.10), but ahead of Mexican duo Paola Espinosa and Dolores Hernandez (303.90).
(First two from the left) Pamela Ware and Jennifer Abel at the medal ceremony on Day 1 in Dubai. Photo via FINA Diving World Series – Dubai on Facebook.
“We are really happy about the performance, I think we did five really great dives, obviously there’s still dives we can do better but we’re really satisfied,” Abel said. At the World Series opener in Beijing Abel and Ware had finished off the podium.
