Montréal, July 15, 2023 – Pamela Ware had a clear mission as she headed to the Fukuoka World Championships in Japan: to enjoy her 1-metre springboard dives, no matter the outcome. True to her objective, the Canadian finished the final at the foot of the podium, only 0.65 points from a medal spot.
In her first 1-metre competition since 2014, Ware appeared completely uninhibited as she earned a total of 284.40 points and recorded the best Worlds result of her career in the event.
“At first, I wasn’t supposed to do the 1-metre, but I’m glad I did. It’s been a long time since I competed in this category internationally, and frankly, my expectations were pretty low. I just wanted to enjoy myself and dive as well as I could, and that’s what I did. I’m really proud of myself!” stated the 30-year-old veteran, as she emerged from the water.
The Montréaler, who was in provisional third place after her fifth and final dive of the day, had to wait until the very end of the final to discover her fate. Her good friend Aranza Vazquez Montano of Mexico was the only competitor who could knock her off the podium, which she did by performing her best dive of the final and bumping her score up to 285.05.
“I wasn’t exactly sure where I stood in the rankings and when I saw that, I started doing mathematical calculations with Maha Eissa, a competitor from Egypt,” Ware said with a laugh. “In the end, Aranza beat me by less than one point, but I was still happy, because she’s one of my best friends. I’m very proud of myself and very proud of her, especially since it’s her first international medal!”
Lin Shan (318.60) and Li Yajle (306.35), both of China, dominated the event, finishing with gold and silver, respectively.
In the same event, Mia Vallée of Quebec, who won bronze at the 2022 World Championships, did not qualify for the final. She finished 15th in the preliminary rounds with 232.15 points.
Now that Ware and Vallée have broken the ice, they will turn their attention to the 3-metre synchronized competition, which is scheduled for Monday. “My goal was to have a good day today (Saturday) and enjoy my dives. I plan to stick to that approach all week and have as much fun as I can, while also remaining calm and focused,” concluded Ware.
Nathan Zsombor-Murray and Kate Miller shine on the platform
Also on Saturday, Nathan Zsombor-Murray and Kate Miller placed fifth in the mixed 10-metre platform event. The young Canadians found themselves in the thick of the battle for the podium, finishing with a score of 290.43, just behind the Ukrainians (295.44).
The Chinese duo won the event with 339.54 points, followed by Mexico (313.44) and Japan (305.34).
“We wanted to let go of the pressure at the beginning of the competition and just see the whole thing as a practice. It was a learning experience for both of us, and it was great for Kate, who will be doing the synchronized dive with Caeli (McKay),” explained Zsombor-Murray. The event was Miller’s first as a senior at the Worlds.
“I’m proud of Kate and happy with our result, even though I would have liked to get onto the podium. I know we’ll be able to do so next time!”
Bryden Hattie, the only other Canadian in action in the opening events of the World Championships, competed in the 1-metre preliminaries on Friday. The British Columbian earned a total of 311.30 points, putting him in 28th place.
The action will continue on Sunday in Fukuoka with the women’s 10-metre synchronized event, featuring Caeli McKay and Kate Miller of Canada.
More information :
Alexandra Piché
Manager, Communications
Diving Canada
C: 514 625-5513
alexandra@diving.ca