Meaghan Benfeito and Caeli McKay added to the maple leaf crop by winning a gold medal in the concurrent 10-meter race on Sunday at the World Cup diving in Twiko, Japan. At the same time, the duo secured a Canadian place in the event in preparation for the Olympic Games.
Megan Benvito and Kylie McKay scored 305.94 points in the final, which put them ahead of Britain’s Eden Cheng and Louis Tolson (302.88 points) as well as Germans Tina Bunzel and Christina Wassen (292.86 points).
“It was very emotional, but it was really nice to get back in and feel the adrenaline after this long break. We’ve had virtual events before, but nothing quite like a real competition.” Kylie McKay said after the event, “It was fun being able to dive in. And finish with gold. “
The day did not start the way the Canadian tandem wanted, who struggled during the preliminary stage to finish sixth. The pass is certainly difficult, but it is essential for Benvito and MacKay, who then found their direction in the final to climb to the top of the podium.
“I wasn’t really happy after the qualifiers, but I think that’s the kind of thing we had to try in this competition and take a lot of positive things out of it. Today (Sunday) we learned that no matter where we are on the start roster or in the standings, we just have to dive into the best. What we can, and we know how to do it, ”Benvito analyzed.
“Personally, the adrenaline rush in qualifying was a slap in the face,” said McKay. We were in a stressful situation for the first time in a long time and I thought I was well prepared, but it hit me more than I thought. “
Olympic qualification within reach
On Sunday, Megan Benvito and Kylie McKay officially won a ticket for the Olympic event, which will be held at the same venue in July. A useful experience for McKay, who learned several lessons from this first trip at the Tokyo Aquatics Center.
“It’s good to be able to compete here (in Tokyo) before the Games. We were able to adapt ourselves and had a good first experience. It’s very positive!”
A similar note on the part of Benfeito who wants to take advantage of the coming months to make the necessary corrections in order to achieve the ultimate goal of returning to the Olympic podium.
“There are always things to work on. We weren’t perfect today, but if we work on the dive individually, the timing will come on its own. We know each other very well and we know exactly what we are capable of,” concluded the Olympic player twice.
Meaghan Benfeito and Caeli McKay return to the stadiums Tuesday for the single 10-meter tower event.
Canada retires in the coincidence of 3 meters men
Later in the day, Thomas Sibrick and Philip Janney were scheduled to take part in the men’s 3-meter simultaneous race with the goal of obtaining an Olympic clearance. After being hit in the shoulder, Gagné is finally forced into confiscation and will return to the country for treatment.
“It was a very difficult decision for Philip. A shoulder injury worsened and his participation posed several risks. The well-being of the athlete should always be a priority and that is why it was better not to participate in the competition, even if there was a problem with Olympic qualification,” commented the coach of diving in Canada, Mitch Geller.
The World Cup continues in Tokyo on Monday, with the first solo events presented. Pamela Ware and Jennifer Abel will try to advance to the women’s final within 3m, while their team-mate Nathan Zsumpour-Murray will do the same in the 10m tower. The Pointe-Claire diver will also wish to obtain a second Canadian Olympic card for the event.
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