Diving Plongeon Canada – Calgary, May 9, 2018 — Canada’s diving stars will soon be contending for international medals as they take on the world at the Canada Cup FINA Diving Grand Prix, May 10-13 at the Repsol Centre in Calgary.

A total of 120 divers from 19 countries will be competing in Calgary, including the 22-member Canadian squad which features a mix of seasoned, successful veterans such as three time Olympic medallist Meaghan Benfeito (29, Montréal) and Olympic medalist Jennifer Abel (26, Montréal) as well as up and comers Caeli McKay (18) and Margo Erlam (16) of Calgary who are excited to compete in front of a home crowd.

“The next four days will have special meaning for me,” said Caeli McKay, who trains in Montreal and recently won silver in the 10 metre synchro event at the Commonwealth Games with her partner Meaghan Benfeito. “I trained here at home in Calgary for many years before joining the national team. It will be an incredible experience to dive in a senior-level international competition with my family and friends watching on,” she added. McKay first enjoyed success on the world scene with the senior team at the FINA Diving Grand Prix in Rostock, Germany, in 2017.

“I’m very excited and honoured to have this amazing opportunity to compete with and against some of the best divers in the world, » says Margo Erlam, Canadian junior elite champion in the 10-metre platform who trains with coach Charlie Tu at Dive Calgary. “I’ve been training at the Repsol Centre for 12 years and I feel so lucky to compete for my home country in front of all my friends and family. »

Other Albertans on the team include 2017 Pan Am Junior gold medalist and three-time Canada Games champion Elena Dick (19, Edmonton), 2017 World Championship team member Ethan Pittman (20, Edmonton) as well as national championship medallist Ashley McCool (18, Calgary).

“It’s a distinct honour for Calgary to host this competition. Calgarians and visitors alike are attracted to world-class events such as the Canada Cup FINA Diving Grand Prix – Calgary. We’re proud of the Repsol Sport Centre’s facilities, which will serve to showcase elite divers from around the world and extend a warm welcome to Diving Canada’s athletes, coaches, judges and fans,” said Cindy Ady, CEO of Tourism Calgary. 

 “We’re excited to be presenting this world-class event at the Repsol Sport Centre,” said Penny Joyce, Diving Canada’s chief operating officer. “Calgary has been a key player in the growth of Canadian diving over the years and has produced outstanding divers such as Olympic medalist Blythe Hartley and world champion Eryn Bulmer. Some of the country’s top junior divers train here and they will undoubtedly be inspired by the international divers coming to their city.

Canada will be battling fiercely for the podium in all the women’s events at the Repsol Centre. Top Canadian female divers to watch include Olympic medallist Meaghan Benfeito on the women’s 10m, World Championship medallist Pamela Ware on 3m as well as Jenn Abel, eight-time World medalist.

On the men’s side, Commonwealth Games double silver medalist Philippe Gagné will be looking for a spot on the podium in the 3m as well as teammate François Imbeau-Dulac and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Vincent Riendeau in the spectacular men’s 10m competition.

The Canada Cup FINA Diving Grand Prix is presented by Speedo. Hosting partners are the City of Calgary, Tourism Calgary, as well as the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada. Corporate sponsors include PwC and host hotel Ramada Calgary Downtown. This international event is expected to have a significant social and economic impact on the local community, as well as leave an important legacy for the local club, Dive Calgary.

For those that can’t make the event due to limited deck and grand stand seating, action can be caught live on cbc.ca and radiocanada.ca. CBC will also broadcast the event over two one-hour shows on “Road to the Olympic Games” on Saturday May 12^thand Saturday May 19^th. Diving fans should check local listings for broadcast times and schedules.

About the 2018 FINA Diving Grand Prix 
Each year, the FINA Diving Grand Prix invites top divers from around the world to compete for medals and world ranking points in a circuit of four-day meets. The intent is to provide the international diving elite with a high-level competition that takes place in countries or locations that have a strong tradition in the sport. The Grand Prix competition program includes women’s and men’s 3m springboard, 10m platform, 3m springboard synchro and 10m platform synchro.

Tickets:Tickets for finals on Saturday and Sunday may be purchased online at www.canadacupdiving.com. Prices range from $10 to $25 per day. Special rates are available for children 10 and under. Thursday and Friday preliminary and semi-finals are free.

For more details about the competition, please visit www.fina.org.
 
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 of the world. For information, visit www.diving.ca. 

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For more information:

DOMINIQUE LADOUCEUR
Consultant, Communications and Media Relations
Diving Plongeon Canada
Cell: 514 576-2379
dominique@diving.ca