August 2, 2004
Diving one of Canada strongest sports
at 2004 Olympic Games in Athens
Donna Spencer
(CP) - One of the most successful sports for Canada at the Olympic Games in Athens should be diving.
Led by wunderkind Alexandre Despatie, the most talented diver Canada has ever produced, three medals, and possibly a fourth, could surface from the diving tank. "I'll be disappointed if we have less than that," Canadian head coach Mitch Geller said. "Three medals and I'll be extremely happy with a fourth."
At the Olympic Games in Sydney four years ago, Anne Montminy and Emilie Heymans won a silver medal in synchronized diving, which was new to the Olympic menu then, and Montminy also won a bronze in the individual 10-metre tower.
Canadian women have won five medals, one gold, a silver and three bronze, in the history of Olympic diving while a Canadian man has yet to win one.
Despatie could be the first. He is the reigning world champion on the men's 10-metre tower. The 19-year-old from Laval, was also ranked first in the three-metre springboard on the Grand Prix circuit this year.
He is capable of a gold medal in either or both.
"He's one of the best in the world in both events, which is not very common," Despatie's club coach Michel Larouche said. "It's something unique and spectacular."
Heymans, from St.-Lambert, is the world champion on the women's 10-metre tower and is a medal threat there.
Blythe Hartley of North Vancouver, B.C., was second in the women's three-metre springboard on the Grand Prix circuit this year and has a shot at hardware.
Hartley and Heymans, both 22, will team up to dive synchro in both the tower and springboard events. And Heymans will also compete in the individual springboard, making her one of the busiest Canadian athletes at the Games as she will compete in every diving event.
While some countries focus on developing synchro diving teams, Dive Canada focuses on developing the best individual divers in the world and hope when they compete in synchro, they hit the water at the same time.
A darkhorse on the women's tower could be Myriam Boileau. The 26-year-old from Montreal does not have as high a degree of difficulty in her list of dives as Heymans does, which translates into lower scores for Boileau, but she is so clean when she hits the water, she disappears with barely a bubble.
At the Canadian diving trials in June, Geller said he wanted a top-six result from Boileau in Athens, but said in July she was diving so well, his expectations were rising.
Boileau, from the Pointe-Claire Diving Club, is the only diver on the Canadian team not out of Larouche's CAMO Club in Montreal.
Christopher Kalec of Laval will join Despatie on the men's tower. Kalec finished 17th in Sydney and is shooting for top 12 in Athens.
Philippe Comtois of Laval returns to the Olympics in springboard after missing the Games in Sydney with a broken leg. His goal is to reach the final and he will also compete with Despatie in the men's synchronized 10-metre event.
The Olympic diving competition opens Aug. 14, when medals will be awarded in synchronized diving in men's tower and women's springboard, and concludes Aug. 28 with the men's tower final. The individual events consist of preliminaries, semifinals and finals.
A quick look at the Canadian diving team heading to Athens for the Olympic Games from Aug. 13-29 :
Divers - Alexandre Despatie, Laval, Que., Emilie Heymans, St-Lambert, Que.; Blythe Hartley North Vancouver, B.C.; Myriam Boileau, Montreal; Christopher Kalec, Laval; Philippe Comtois, Laval.
Where - Olympic Aquatic Centre, Athens.
Ones to watch - Despatie, 10-metre platform final, Aug., 28, springboard, Aug. 24; Heymans, Boileau, 10-metre platform final, Aug. 22; Hartley, springboard final, Aug. 26.
put on line by SVP
