July 20, 2005

Emilie Heymans looked in perfect position to win Canada's third gold medal in as many days Wednesday at the world aquatic championships in Montreal, but two mistakes cost her a spot on the podium.

Heymans, the defending world champion in the women's 10-metre platform, sat in first place coming into the five-dive final and appeared poised to reclaim the title she won two years ago in Barcelona.

But the native of St-Lambert, Que., flubbed two of her dives and finished fourth, while American Laura Wilkinson went on to win the gold.

Wilkinson, the Olympic 10 m platform champion from the 2000 Sydney Games, produced a five-dive total of 564.87.

Australia's Loudy Tourky captured the silver medal with 551.25, while Jai Tong claimed the bronze with 550.98 to give China its fifth medal from the diving pool. Heymans had a five-dive score of 546.84.

Myriam Boileau of Montreal failed to qualify for the 12-diver final.

Almost every diver in the final missed at least one dive, but Heymans missed two big ones. On her opening dive, she created a big splash on her entry and on her fourth dive she over-rotated and nearly landed on her back.

After the competition, the 23-year-old Heymans was clearly disappointed with her result.

"It's not the position, it's the performance," said a discouraged Heymans, who was cheered on by the partisan crowd of almost 4,000. "The two dives I missed, I rarely miss in practice. That's what's disappointing.

"I wasn't here to win, I was here to do a good performance and dive well and be happy and proud of myself. If I had done a really, really good performance but someone else did better, I'd be happy."

It was a heartbreaking finish for Heymans, who had been hoping to get back on the podium in front of her hometown crowd after finishing fourth at 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Canada has won three diving medals so far at the championships.

Alexandre Despatie of Laval, Que., and Blythe Hartley of North Vancouver won gold in the men's three-metre springboard and women's one-metre board, respectively, while Meaghan Benfeito of Montreal and Roseline Filion of Laval won bronze in the three-metre synchronized diving event on Sunday.

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