September 23, 2024 – It was a weekend of firsts for the Canadian high diving program at the World Cup in Bahrain. For the first time, Canada claimed both the top spots on the podium at a High Diving World Cup! Molly Carlson was crowned champion, while Simone Leathead took second place.
This was also the first time Canada had a team of two women and two men at a stage of the High Diving World Cup!
Molly Carlson won the gold medal with a score of 324.20, ahead of Leathead, who earned silver with 307.80 points.
“It’s so exciting! I can’t believe how incredible things are. I wasn’t expecting much from myself after the competition in Montreal. I just wanted to go in and perform four solid dives again. But to stand on the top of the podium was a dream, especially next to Simone. I’m so proud of how far she’s come, and it’s so exciting to see our team grow,” commented Carlson.
After the third round, Molly was in third place and Simone was temporarily in seventh.
“Wow, what a day! It was quite a rollercoaster. It didn’t start the way I wanted. My first dive wasn’t great, but then I managed to move on and put all my energy into what I could control, which was the upcoming dive. I’m extremely happy to share the podium with Molly here. I can’t wait for Brazil and the upcoming competitions!” said Leathead.
For the men, it was the first time Canada was represented by two athletes. Michaël Foisy (278.55) and François Imbeau-Dulac (277.80) finished 14th and 15th, respectively.
Two other athletes from the Montreal program were in action this weekend. Aidan Heslop, who has been training with Stéphane Lapointe at the CAMO Diving Club for several years, climbed to the third step of the podium with a total of 403.80 points.
Antonio Corzo Diaz, also one of Stéphane Lapointe’s athletes in Montreal, finished 17th in his very first international competition recognized by World Aquatics.
“A record day for Canada. We’re constantly pushing the limits! The day isn’t over until the last dive, and this weekend was very representative of that. The girls managed to rally to finish on the two highest steps of the podium! For the guys, it was a great experience too. I couldn’t be prouder of the whole team,” said Stéphane Lapointe.
The adventure continues in Turkey for some team members who will participate in the next stage of the Red Bull Cliff Diving circuit in Antalya on September 28 and 29. In October, they will fly to Brazil to take part in the second stage of the World Aquatics World Cup.
About Diving Canada
Diving Plongeon Canada (DPC) was established in 1967 as a not-for-profit organization to promote the growth and awareness of the sport in this country. As a member of FINA, the world’s governing body of aquatic sports, DPC contributes to the development of globally accepted standards of excellence in diving and supports the rules and regulations of international competition. DPC shares a national commitment to advance the art and sport of diving and to position Canada as the number one diving nation of the world. For information, visit www.diving.ca.
Information:
Alexandra Piché
Communication manager
(514) 625-5513
alexandra@diving.ca