VICTORIA, BC (Saturday, May 28, 2022) – Boardworks Diving Club’s Renée Batalla, a brand new member of the Canadian junior national team, climbed atop the podium on Saturday at the second day of competition at the 2022 Summer Senior National Diving Championships taking place at Saanich Commonwealth Place winning gold on women’s 10-metre platform.

Batalla had just returned from winning gold on 10m at the British Elite Junior Diving Championships in the UK, so while she was familiar with success, beating 2020 Olympians Caeli McKay of Montreal, QC and Celina Toth – her teammate at Boardworks in Victoria, BC to the top of the podium was definitely a bit of a surprise for the young 15-year-old.

“I’m really excited. Going into today, my goal was just to get on the podium,” said Batalla. “It was really cool (to compete against McKay and Toth). I don’t get starstruck, but I know how much work they put in, so it’s really nice to compete with people who’ve worked for so long and so hard to be able to get to the top level.”

Batalla won gold with a total score of 314.85, while McKay, who was competing for the first time since coming home from the Tokyo Olympics, captured silver with a total score of 311.85, and Toth took bronze with a total score of 306.35.

Bryden Hattie, also of Victoria, BC, who captured gold on men’s 3m on the first day of competition, continued his winning ways, winning gold again on 1m with a total score of 404.70.

“This gives me a little bit of confidence to know that going into all of these international events, that if I can just stay consistent, and not focus on how other people are doing, or watching what’s going on with them, and just stay in my lane, that if I can compete like how I train, then everything should be fine,” said Hattie who recently returned to Victoria after finishing his sophomore year at the University of Tennessee.

Cédric Fofana of Montreal, QC, who took silver on Friday in 3m, took silver again on 1m with a total score of 380.40, while Tazman Abramowicz of Calgary, AB who has been competing in the NCAA with the University of Wisconsin, captured bronze with a total score of 373.95.

Competition wraps up tomorrow with the women’s 3-metre springboard, and men’s 10m platform starting at 10am PT. 

Next up for many of these athletes is the 2022 FINA Diving Grand Prix – Canada Cup in Calgary, AB, from June 9th to 12th, where top divers from around the world will compete for medals and world ranking points. Tickets and schedule information are available at https://diving.ca/canadacup/ 

For full results, please visit: https://diving.ca/summer-nationals-2022/

To watch the competition live, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/player/sports/diving

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For more information:

Maëlle Dancause

Manager, Communications

Diving Plongeon Canada

514-475-4540 | maelle@diving.ca