May 1 2002

MONTREAL- Alexandre Despatie of Laval, Que., and �milie Heymans of Montreal are among a stellar field that almost resembles a line-up for the Olympic Games at the fifth stop on the FINA Grand Prix diving circuit May 3-5 at the Claude-Robillard Centre in Montreal.

Despatie, currently ranked second in the world, has simply been marvellous in 2002. At the Grand Prix in Germany in March, the 16-year-old won the gold medal on 10-metre tower in an astonishing performance. He edged number-two Chinese diver Luo Yutong, one of his opponents again this weekend in Montreal.

Then at the national championships in March he swept gold on all three boards establishing a Canadian record each time.

Heymans, the Olympic silver medallist in synchro diving with Anne Montminy and the defending Montreal Grand Prix tower champion, won four gold at the nationals with a Canadian mark on three-metres.

Despatie and Heymans might need to break Canadian records again at the 16-country Grand Prix if they want a shot at gold. The opposition includes:

From Australia, Olympic bronze medallists Robert Newberry, Loudy Tourky and Rebecca Gilmore along with former Russian world champion Irina Lashko, the defending Montreal Grand Prix three-metre champion.

From China, world champion Feng Wang, world number-two and Grand Prix three-metre leader Tianling Wang and Yutong, the current Grand Prix tower leader for the men. For the women world champion We Minxia and last season�s Grand Prix three-metre champion Li Ting.

From Cuba, defending Montreal Grand Prix tower champion Jose Antonia Guerra, recently a double gold medallist at last month�s Grand Prix stop in Madrid.

From Russia, Olympic champion Ilyina Vera and current Grand Prix three-metre leader and defending Grand Prix champion Natalia Oumyskova.

Joining Despatie on the Canadian men�s team are Olympians Jeff Liberty of Calgary and Philippe Comtois and Christopher Kalec of Montreal along with Arturo Miranda of Toronto, Nicolas Leblanc of Montreal, Kevin Geyson of Victoria and Eric Petursson of Calgary.

For the Canadian women with Heymans are Alida DiPlacido, Caroline Lauzon, Emmanuelle Dupuis, Marie-�ve Marleau, M�lanie Rinaldi and Mariane Allaire-Morin, all of Montreal, Megan Farrow and Martha Dale of Edmonton and Myriam Boileau of Pointe-Claire, Que.

Competition starts at 10 a.m. each day. Finals on men�s three-metre and women�s synchro start at 5 p.m. Friday May 3.

Finals on men�s three-metre synchro and women�s tower start at 2 p.m. on May 4. And finals on men�s tower and women�s three-metre start at 1: 30 p.m. on May 5. Admission is $5 on Friday and $7 on Saturday and Sunday.

Page reviewed on May 1, 2002 by SVP