Diving Canada – The Canadians pick up two medals, both in springboard competition, to close out the season opening FINA Diving World Series.

All throughout the women’s 3m springboard final it was teammates jockeying for position, and in the end Laval, Que.’s Jennifer Abel took the bronze medal, just ahead of Montreal’s Pamela Ware on Day 3 of the FINA Diving World Series in Sagamihara, Japan. 

Tingmao Shi and Han Wang of China also went back and forth, with Shi eventually winning the event with 382.05 points. Wang collected 378.90 points for the silver medal. 

Abel managed to nab the bronze on her last dive, jumping from fifth to third, and scoring a total of 353.40 points edging Ware by just .15 points.

Despite a rocky start Abel managed to right the ship, “I was aware since the first dive because I knew I made a big mistake and also my second dive was a mistake, but I knew that I still had three big dives coming up,” said the 27 year-old Olympian. 

“I knew that if I got a nine on the last dive I had at least a better chance to be on the podium. I was just thinking about myself and not the others, at the end it’s an individual sport,” said Abel.

For the Olympic medallist, the first Diving World Series has set the tone for the season’s next stop in Beijing next week.

“I’m working a lot on my dives mentally instead of physically now because I know how to do my dives, I know how to be there and compete against the Chinese, so I’m still going to work mentally going into Beijing and that’s going to be my key this season,” said Abel.

Later in the evening Abel combined with François Imbeau-Dulac, 28, to win a silver medal in the mixed 3m synchro springboard.

The Canadians amassed 327.93 points, just 2.7 points behind the Chinese duo of Hao Yang and Yani Chang.

“We really, really want to beat them this year, I think we both think it’s doable,” said Imbeau-Dulac, of St-Lazare, Que., “We are a strong team and we could definitely beat the Chinese and beat all of the other teams, I think it’s just a question of time and just a little more competing together and we’re going to get it.” 

Tom Daley and Grace Reid of Great Britain were third-place with 312.24 points.

The Canadian team leaves Japan with three silver medals and two bronze.

China swept the eight events with eight gold medals. 

The second FINA Diving World Series is March 7 to 9 in Beijing, China.

Detailed results are available through: 

https://bit.ly/2EhsLCk

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For more information:

Maelle Dancause

Manager, Public Relations

Diving Plongeon Canada

C: 514-475-4540 | maelle@diving.ca