Montréal, October 8, 2024 – Thirteen athletes will sport Canada’s colours at the Junior World Diving Championships, being held in Brazil from November 24 to December 1.
The Canadian lineup was finalized following the Speedo Canadian Junior Trials in Gatineau this past weekend. According to junior high-performance program director Andrée Pouliot-Deschamps, the highly competitive event showcased the impressive depth of the national program.
“We have a great team for the Junior World Championships. They’re not just participants, they’re true contenders. All of them could make it to the finals. While watching the competition, I felt really proud! There’s great collaboration all across the country, and we have great team spirit, even though it’s an individual sport.”
Six girls and seven boys will represent Canada in Rio de Janeiro. Among them, Claude-Olivier Lisé-Coderre and Kash Tarasoff will attempt to make their marks in the 14-and-15-year-old age group. Lisé-Coderre put in a particularly impressive performance at the Junior Canadian Trials. With three gold medals, he was the only athlete to obtain a perfect score of ten—which he received from all seven judges for his fifth dive, a reverse two and a half somersault in tuck position that he performed in the platform finals.
“Claude-Olivier had quite the weekend! I don’t think he made a single mistake, in the preliminaries or in the finals. He will be a very interesting one to watch,” added Pouliot-Deschamps, clearly delighted with the performances of all the competitors.
“We’ve faced several challenges over the past two months. With the Olympic Stadium still closed, the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex closed, and a few other pools closed for maintenance, we haven’t been able to prepare the way we would have liked to, but nevertheless, the athletes still managed to do extremely well. Sometimes, you just have to rely on your preparation and the work you’ve put in. It bodes very well for the Junior World Championships.”
In the boys’ 16-to-18-year-old age group, there were some fierce battles at the Canadian Junior Trials, featuring a number of rising stars. Five of them will compete in one event each at the Junior World Championships.
Emmitt Reesor stood out in the 3m final, with an exceptional score of 579.15 points. He will compete in the platform event in Brazil, along with Dean Calfacacos and Sam Talbot. Arnaud Corbeil will compete in the 3m event, while Sam McCaffrey takes part in the 1m.
Lila Stewart, two-time gold medallist at the Canadian Trials, and Mathilde Laberge, also a two-time medallist in Gatineau, will compete in the girls’ 16-to-18-year-old category. Renée Batalla will be the third Canadian in Group A.
In Group B, Lila Gokiert will take part in the 1m, 3m, and platform events—the events in which she won medals at the Canadian Trials: one gold and two silver. She will be accompanied by Ella Lindsay, two-time medallist last weekend, and Mackenzie Van Houtte-Cachero, who wowed many on the 1m board.
“They’re three very good, very talented athletes! Mackenzie started during the pandemic, which was late as far as competition goes. She has less experience than the others, but she’s very talented, and she won the 1m—her first gold medal! In fact, she’s the only athlete for whom the World Championships will be her first international competition,” noted Pouliot-Deschamps.
For Corbeil and Batalla, who won silver medals at the 2022 Junior World Championships in Montréal, it will be their second appearance at this event, as it will for Reesor, Talbot, and Laberge.
The athletes who will represent Canada in the synchronized events will be determined shortly.
The Canadian Junior World Championships Team:
Lila Stewart (1m and 3m)
Mathilde Laberge (3m and platform)
Renée Batalla (platform)
Ella Lindsay (3m and platform)
Lila Gokiert (1m, 3m, and platform)
Mackenzie Van Houtte-Cachero (1m)
Arnaud Corbeil (3m)
Dean Calfacacos (platform)
Emmitt Reesor (platform)
Sam McCaffrey (1m)
Sam Talbot (platform)
Claude-Olivier Lisé-Coderre (1m, 3m, and platform)
Kash Tarasoff (1m, 3m, and platform)
More information:
Alexandra Piché
Manager, Communications
Diving Canada
C: 514 625-5513
alexandra@diving.ca