As always, the post-Olympic period has been punctuated with changes for the Canadian diving team. And this time, Diving Canada has lost many of its pillars.
On the women’s side, two of the best divers in history have hung up their towel for good in Meaghan Benfeito and Jennifer Abel.
The Quebec women alone have won no less than five Olympic medals, ten world medals and a hundred World Cup podiums.
The diving events will be webcast by Radio-Canada Sports with a description by Michel Chabot and an analysis by Roseline Filion.
On the men’s side, Vincent Riendeau and Philippe Gagné have retired since the last Olympic cycle.
These departures, as sensitive as they are for Diving Canada, open the door to a new generation of divers.
Overview of the competition in five questions with analyst Roseline Filion:
Q. This is the first major competition since the Tokyo Games in 2021. The Canadian team has changed significantly since last summer to make room for new faces at the forefront. Who are they?
A. It really is a complete overhaul of the Canadian team. This is an opportunity for young people to be seen, to do more and more competitions.
She who holds my attention the most is Mia Vallée, whom I have known since she was very young. She went diving for the University of Miami and the Nationals [en mai, NDLR], it was the first time she had returned to Canada for a competition. She stood out. I knew she had the talent, but I was impressed by her strength of character, her ability to handle pressure. She has matured a lot.
Among the guys, Nathan Zsombor-Murray has an ability to dive with really high difficulty coefficients and he is also able to get perfect marks. He demonstrated it at the World Cup in Tokyo last year and at the nationals at the start of the season with a 10 on a few dives. We see that he hasn’t lost his rhythm, but on the contrary, the pandemic has allowed him to train more and improve his technique.
Q. Who will be the young veterans who will support them?
A. It’s funny to say, but Caeli McKay has become the oldest of the team. [à l’âge de 22 ans, NDLR]. She has always been the youngest, led by older ones, whether Meaghan Benfeito, Jennifer Abel or Pamela Ware, but she now has this role in spite of herself. I think it will do her good to know that the younger ones are watching her, who has a phenomenal work ethic. It’s a good thing for her.
Q. A new coach also joined the group this fall, replacing Arturo Miranda. Who is Hui-Tong?
A. Hui Tong coached in Canada a really long time ago, he was Blythe Hartley’s coach when she was world champion in 2001 in Fukuoka, he’s a really great coach. He moved to Australia with his family to work with the Australian team, but he always kept an eye on the Canadians… We had a great relationship. The team is very happy to have changes in the coaches. It’s a lot of changes at the same time, but when we see the headliners leave, we have no choice stir the soup
and to see how we can continue to be a dominant nation.
Q. Canada has been shining bright in swimming ever since the worlds kicked off. What to expect from the divers side?
A. I have the impression that it will take a little time before seeing them again on the podium. That doesn’t mean they don’t have talent, on the contrary, but it’s really just that you have to take the time to see things well. We’re in testing, I would say, so I don’t expect a lot of podiums. In mixed synchro, there may be an opportunity. I would say it’s the first step towards a new team, to make its mark, to analyze what is happening elsewhere in the world. I think that after the World Championships, we will have a better idea of where Canada is.
Q. Let’s put the Canadian selection aside for a moment. Which international athletes and countries will be ones to watch closely over the next few days?
A. I would say Australia. There are a lot of very good divers, there is Melissa Wu who was a medalist at the Tokyo Games, Annabelle Smith and Maddison Keeney… She is one of the best in the world. The British team has changed, Tom Daley has taken a year off, but Olympic champion Matty Lee will still be there, the English will be one to watch. Obviously, the Chinese team is a must.
Otherwise, Oleksii Sereda, a young prodigy from Ukraine. He did not win a medal at the Games [il n’avait que 15 ans, NDLR], but we could see that his dives were very solid. Beautiful entrances to the water, a very good potential. He would be my crush.
The six divers of the Canadian delegation in Budapest
Women
- Springboard 1 m and 3 m: Mia Vallée & Margo Erlam
- 10m platform: Caeli Mckay
- 3m synchro springboard: Mia Vallée in team with Margo Erlam
Men
- Springboard 1m and 3m: Bryden Hattie
- 10m Platform: Rylan Wiens & Nathan Zsombor-Murray
- 10m synchro platform: Rylan Wiens teamed up with Nathan Zsombor-Murray
A few notable absences
Pamela Ware: The two-time Olympic veteran was unable to qualify for worlds. Ware, who finished just off the podium at the Rio Games, finished last May’s nationals third in the 1m and 3m springboard events. Only the first two places (Vallée and Erlam) got their ticket.
Melissa Citrini-Beaulieu: The Quebecer had surgery on her left foot and will be sidelined until August. Silver medalist at the Tokyo Games with Jennifer Abel in the 3m synchro is still aiming for a place on the Canadian team for Paris in 2024.
Cedric Fofana: The Quebecer also missed his qualification for the worlds. Fofana, who we saw making his Olympic debut in Japan aged just 17, failed to meet the standard to qualify.
The diving events will be held from June 26 to July 3, with finals daily at the Duna Arena in Budapest.
(With information from Félix St-Aubin)
Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca