August 7th, 2002 – Rylan Wiens can say that the Commonwealth Games are mission accomplished. He climbed the second step of the podium Sunday in the men’s 10m at the Commonwealth Games, an event he very much wanted to medal in. A few moments later, Mia Vallée took it upon herself to do the same, earning bronze in the women’s 3m springboard at the Sandwell Aquatic Centre in Birmingham, England. 

Two other Canadians were in the men’s 10m platform. Quebecker Nathan Zsombor-Murray (477.85) was fourth, narrowly missing out on the podium, very closely followed by his teammate Benjamin Tessier (440.30) in fifth. 

Rylan Wiens’ day began with a 4^th place in the preliminary round. His plan was to save some energy for the final. 

“My goal was to show up and win the most medals possible. I wanted it, I trained very hard and I did it. This was my last individual event of the year and I left everything on the table. I am really happy with the result”, shared Wiens. 

He waited until the third dive to sneak a peek at the scoreboard. He saw that he was sitting in second place. 

« I knew that it was really tight between 1^st and 6^th spot. Of course, it’s an added stress to know you’re in a good spot for a medal but in my case, I would say that it’s a good stress. I just kept on executing my dives like I should. Before climbing up the tower for my last dive, I smiled at my coach. I felt very confident”, Wiens declared.  

He was able to celebrate his Commonwealth silver medal with his parents, who came to England to see their son perform.  

“My parents were in the stands. I could hear them cheering me on at each of my dives. It was giving me even more energy. It’s special to be able to share this moment with them”, explained Wiens. 

There is one more event on the schedule for the 22-year-old diver. Monday, he will share the platform and team up with Celina Toth for the very first time in the mixed 10m synchro event. 

“We’ve only practiced three times together, so this will be quite an experience. We are going to experiment with mixed synchro a little bit during this competition. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be a great experience”, said Wiens. 

Earlier this week, Wiens won the silver medal in the 10m synchro event with partner Nathan Zsombor-Murray. 

Mia Vallée ends her competition with a third medal. 

After winning gold in the 1m event and silver in the 3m synchro event earlier in the week, Mia Vallée added a bronze medal to her new collection today in the women’s 3m springboard. 

The judges awarded Vallée 329.25 points. She came within less than two points from second spot and the silver medal. After a tight contest, it was in fact Malaysian diver Nur Dhabitah Sabri who took silver with 330.90. Australia’s Maddison Keeney won the event with a score of 348.95 points. 

Also in action, Calgary’s Margo Erlam finished fifth with 309.65 points. 

Mia Vallée had to dig deep to reach the podium at this event. She stood in eighth spot after her first dive. 

“I was hoping to dive a little bit better today. I didn’t feel 100% in the final, particularly after my first dive, which didn’t go very well. I am still very proud that I kept fighting and never gave up. I was able to concentrate and bounce back », Vallée shared. 

“After a few dives, everybody was diving so well that I didn’t think I would be able to get on the podium. I’m really happy that I did it! », exclaimed the 21-year-old diver. 

Vallée will leave Birmingham happy and relieved after this week’s competition. She was hoping to climb the podium at each event in which she was competing, and she accomplished her goal. 

“This is even better than I could have imagined two months ago. I am so proud of myself. Next season is looking great! », declared the Kirkland native. 

Monday, Margo Erlam and Bryden Hattie will join forces for the mixed 3m synchro. 

For complete results visit : https://results.birmingham2022.com/ 

About Diving Plongeon 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. Representing nine provincial diving associations, 67 local diving clubs and close to 4,000 high-performance athletes, DPC shares a national commitment to advance the art and sport of diving and to position Canada as the number one diving nation in the world.  

For information, visit www.diving.ca.  

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For more information: 

Maëlle Dancause
Communications Manager
Diving Plongeon Canada
514-475-4540 |  maelle@diving.ca