| 1999 Mexico FINA Grand Prix Meet |
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Despatie Close To Olympic Berth In Diving CanSport, May 17, 1999
Louis Daignault, Canadian Sport News
Juarez City, Mexico, May 14, 1999
World champion Dmitri Sautin of Russia grabbed his second consecutive gold medal Friday on the FINA Grand Prix diving circuit men's three-metre springboard competition.
Canada has one medal so far at the four-day meet, a silver won on Thursday by Emilie Heymans of Montreal on women's three-metre.
Sautin, at his third competition since undergoing back surgery last November, totalled 458.25 points with Mexican veteran Fernando Platas second at 444.63 and Olympic champion Xiong Ni of China third at 437.16.
Seven-time national champion Philippe Comtois of Montreal placed eighth at 400.32. He was only eight points shy of fourth place.
"To finish with 400 points and only get eighth shows what a tough competition this was," said Comtois, ranked sixth in the world on three-metre. "I was overall very pleased with the way I performed."
Etienne Gauthier of Montreal was 22nd and Tony Revitt of Vancouver, a 10-metre tower specialist, 33rd.
On women's three-metre Lan Yang of China was the victor with 314.88 points, Heymans, ranked second in the world, followed at 304.44 while Irina Vyguzova of Russia was third at 294.42.
The result was a welcome relief for Heymans who struggled at the Grand Prix in Montreal two weeks not reaching a single final.
"Right from the start in the preliminaries I was on," said Heymans, 17. "I think I had my best stretch of successful dives in international competition ever on three-metre."
Myriam Boileau of Montreal was 10th.
Competition continues Saturday with the women's 10-metre. Canada is expected to do well with Heymans, Boileau and Anne Montminy of Pointe-Claire, Que.
Louis Daignault, Canadian Sport News
JUAREZ CITY, Mexico, May 15, 1999
A mistake on her fourth dive in the final may have
cost Emilie Heymans of Montreal a medal Saturday on women's 10-metre tower
at the FINA Grand Prix diving competition.
Veteran Marie Jose Alcala of Mexico won the gold medal with 342.03 points, Olga Khristoforova of Russia was second at 325.23 and Irina Vyguzova of Kazakhstan third at 309.12.
Heymans, a silver medallist Thursday on three-metre and one of Canada's brightest young diving stars, won the preliminary round and was solid throughout the final except on her back handstand dive. She placed fourth at 301.41.
"My handstand dive is certainly not the best on my list but I don't usually do it as bad as I did tonight," said Heymans, 17, who rebounded nicely this weekend after not reaching any finals two weeks ago at the Grand Prix stop in Montreal.
Myriam Boileau of Montreal, who won the World Cup crown here in 1997 , balked on her handstand dive and came very close to hitting the platform on her two and half reverse for low marks. She was sixth at 297.09.
"It was a strange final for me," said Boileau, who scored 9.0's and 9.5's on her back two and half, the best dive of the night. " I was happy to be able to rebound from a couple of rough dives. But it's a bit disappointing not to win a medal here with the absence of the Chinese."
Seven-time Canadian champion Anne Montminy of Pointe-Claire, Que., was seventh in the preliminaries but was eliminated because each country can only advance two divers to the next round.
Competition ends Sunday with the men's 10-metre.
Despatie Earns Canada First Olympic Spot on Men's Tower Since 1992
Louis Daignault, Canadian Sport News
JUAREZ CITY, Mexico, May 16, 1999
Thirteen-year-old Alexandre Despatie of Montreal
accomplished something no other Canadian diver has done in seven years.
He assured Canada a spot in the men's 10-metre tower at next year's Olympic Games by placing fourth on Sunday at a FINA Grand Prix meet. No Canadians were able to qualify a spot in men's tower for the 1996 Olympics.
Despatie met the criteria by earning a fourth consecutive qualifying score in international competition. However Despatie still has to make the Canadian Olympic team at trials next year.
In Sunday's competition, Olympic and world champion Dmitri Sautin of Russia won the gold medal with 473.31 points which included a perfect 10 on his final dive of the night. The victory completed a golden sweep for Sautin, the three-metre winner on Friday.
Fernando Platas of Mexico was second at 456.90 and another veteran Vladimir Timochinin of Russia was third at 445.43.
Despatie, the Commonwealth Games champion, followed at 437.11. Highlights included landing one of his best ever inward three and half for 8.5's and 9.0's, then notching 9.0's and 9.5's on his front three and a half.
"I can't complain about my performance tonight," said Despatie, who has a third and two fourth places on the Grand Prix this season. "My main goal this week was to get that Olympic spot. Now it's over and we don't have to worry about that anymore."
Tony Revitt of Vancouver was 17th.
The circuit moves to China in a couple of weeks and Canada will field a full team for the competition.
Page reviewed on May 17, 1999 by
