The athletes put on quite a show in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and five of them were crowned Canadian champions in their respective categories during the very first Canamex High Flying Challenge in history.
The event, presented by Diving Plongeon Canada in partnership with USA Diving, served as the Canadian Championships and as a qualifier for the World Championships which will take place in Qatar in February. Athletes from Canada, the United States and Mexico competed for the occasion.
Fifth among seniors, François Imbeau-Dulac was Canada’s best representative in scoring 347.93 points. He particularly stood out on his last pass where he obtained 111.93 points, to the great pleasure of the crowd who cheered him on as he came out of the water.
” I am relieved ! I didn’t have high expectations since I don’t have difficult dives, but I knew it was possible to qualify for the worlds if I showed consistency, which I managed to do.” said the man who competed at the London Olympics in the 3m event in 2012.
“I’m a little disappointed with my third dive, but so proud of my last one! This was only my second time doing it at the 27m platform! I am very proud of myself and will focus on more difficult dives in preparation for the World Championships. »
James Lichtenstein won gold with his total of 448.83 points. David Colturi took silver with 403.74 points, then Antonio Corzo (381.38) joined them on the podium.
Also in action, Quebecer Charles-Antoine Labadie, only 16 years old, offered the second best Canadian performance by placing 6th (340.49). For his part, Frédéric Gagné had a more difficult day on Friday during the first two rounds. However, he came back strong on Saturday with some of his best dives of his life. He is in 10th place (295.64) in the final ranking.
Note that Michael Foisy, the only Canadian representative in the men’s event at the last World Championships, was unable to take part in the competition due to an injury.
Still among the seniors, on the women’s side, it was Molly Carlson who took the top step of the podium under the Florida sun. The diver edged teammate Jessica Macaulay, silver medalist, at 313.60 points. Ellie Smart rounded out the podium with her 301.10 points.
“I’m surprised the off-season paid off so much! My first three dives gave me scores of 9.5 and 10. I’m going to work a little more on the last one, but overall I’m really proud of my performance,” said Carlson, silver medalist in the world last July. She has now confirmed her place for those in Doha this winter.
Simone Leathead totaled 281.34 points and finished 5th on Saturday. A performance which allowed him to qualify for the World Championships alongside his two medal-winning compatriots. Aime Harrison ranked 7th with 243.46 points.
With a cumulative score of 346.85 points after the four rounds of the competition, Alex Tiaglei triumphed on the men’s side among the juniors, enough to put a smile on his face at the end of the day.
“We took part in a preparatory camp here a few weeks ago. I came back with a new jump, the one that ended my competition, and then it went very well. I feel great, especially after this last dive which allowed me to win! » Tiaglei said.
For her part, Zita Bernastsky won gold after amassing 278.30 points.
“Overall, I am really happy with my performance at this first Canamex High Flight Challenge! I put a lot of effort into every element of my dives. To have the opportunity to come here and present them at a high level, to perform as I did, I feel that all the work done at home has paid off,” underlined Bernastsky, very proud of her performance .
Finally, Kelly-Ann Tessier won gold in the women’s development category with her 261.23 points. Her brilliant moves allowed her to beat Fiona Keilly and Ella Sanscartier, who scored 185.07 points and 185.00 points.
“My best moment was seeing everyone’s reaction after my last jump, the feeling of having achieved my goal, it was great! » shared Tessier, who was in his first competition played outside.
” I really appreciated ! I would now like to gain confidence and improve my levels of difficulty. There is still room for improvement, but I am really happy with what I accomplished. »
There is no denying that the first Canamex High Flight Challenge was a resounding success in Fort Lauderdale.
“It was such a great event! We didn’t expect to have a competition in December and we found out a bit at the last minute. Three countries came together and it was a really great atmosphere,” said gold medalist Molly Carlson.
“It was really exciting to be here and have the opportunity to qualify for worlds. It was wonderful to see the whole Canadian team in action and I’m really proud of everyone! »
Around forty athletes took part in the competition held over two days and all agree that a second edition is expected next year.
“We see that the sport is growing and the caliber is improving. By having a competition like this, athletes can compare themselves, encourage each other to do better,” underlined Olivier Morneau, head of the high-flying program at Diving Plongeon Canada.
“It’s great to see them competing for places on the national team. The stands were full! For a first edition, it’s incredible! We’ll definitely be back. »
The chief technical director of the Canadian federation Mitch Geller agrees with his colleague on this subject and draws up an equally positive assessment.
“It’s a great example of what we can set up as an accessible competition for international athletes, in collaboration with other federations. Work went great with USA Diving, we worked quickly and had over 40 registrations! The quality of the dives was very high. Succeeding in creating such opportunities for our athletes bodes well for the future of our sport. »
In February, Frédéric Gagné, François Imbeau-Dulac, Molly Carlson, Jessica Macaulay, Simone Leathead will therefore represent the maple leaf at the World Aquatic Sports Championships in Doha, Qatar. Until then, they will return to Fort Lauderdale in January for some training.
