Gagne, Lalonde win titles at 2013 Speedo Diving Canada Junior Elite Nationals
Gagné, Lalonde win titles at 2013 Speedo Junior Elite Nationals
THUNDER BAY, Ont, - Philippe Gagné of Montreal won the gold medal on men’s three-metre Friday at the 2013 Speedo Junior Elite Nationals diving competition.
The 15-year-old Gagné, the national senior champion on 10-metre last month, totaled 556.00 points for the title. Vincent Riendeau of Pointe-Claire, Que., provided a strong challenge taking the silver at 548.85 and Dylan Grisell of Etobicoke, Ont., was third at 496.80.
‘’I was able to comeback from a rough preliminaries,’’ said Gagné. ‘’My starts were off and I was too close to the board. In the final I was able to dive straight. I’ve had ups and downs on three-metre this year with some new dives added to my list. It was great to see the improvement today.’’
The competition is also a team trial for the Pan Am Junior Championships this September in Tuscon, Arizona.
In a heated women’s one-metre final, Frédérique Lalonde of Montreal took the gold with 438.20 points. Melissa Citrini-Beaulieu of Montreal was second at 433.50 and Samantha Maiorino of Pointe-Claire, Que., third at 427.35.
‘’I’m a bit surprised to get the win,’’ said Lalonde. ‘’I knew it was possible but it was so close between the girls. I think getting strong scores on my front three and half made the difference. It’s a dive that’s been a big challenge for me.’’
In the 14-15 age group, the winners were Felix Leathead of Montreal and Caeli McKay of Calgary on men’s and women’s platform.
Competition continues through to Sunday.
Jeff Feeney
Events and Communications Manager
Diving Plongeon Canada
Tel: 613 736 5238 x 2101
