Nouvelles-sport canadien
June 9, 2007
Canada�s Meaghan Benfeito sixth on three-metre at diving Grand Prix
MADRID � Meaghan Benfeito of Montreal posted the best senior level international result of her career on the three-metre springboard on Saturday with a sixth-place finish at the fifth stop on the FINA Grand Prix diving circuit.
Zi He led China to a 1-2 finish with 357.80 points, Ting Li was second at 346.65 and Olena Federova of Ukraine third at 319.30. Benfeito, 18, was sixth in the final at 262.65.
��Reaching the final was a big goal for Meaghan,�� said Canadian coach Cesar Henderson of Montreal. ��She was exceptional in the semifinal in particular, then in the final, a couple of dives weren�t as strong as usual.��
Mandy Moran of Calgary advanced to the semifinals and was eliminated for 12th overall.
On men�s 10-metre tower, Riley McCormick of Victoria was ninth and Nicholas Leblanc 11th in the preliminaries as both advanced to Sunday�s semifinals.
��It�s my best international performance so far this year,�� said Leblanc. ��I didn�t make any major errors but I was penalized mainly for my entries. I think if I rip my entries better tomorrow (Sunday) it�ll be worth at least a point more per judge.��
Competition ends Sunday.
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