Canadians Pamela Ware and Carson Paul enjoyed success on the first day of competition at the invitation of Bolzano, Italy, both climbing to the third step of a podium.
Posted at 6:14 p.m.
Ware was the first to do so with 295.35 points on the 3m springboard. The Quebecer had some small difficulties on her second jump, but the consistency she showed on her other attempts allowed her to reach the top-3.
“I didn’t do well on my second dive and I think that affected me a bit on the following jumps. I was still consistent afterwards and I’m happy to finish on the podium,” said Ware.
The Montrealer was also excellent in qualifying where she easily took first place, 26.95 points ahead of her closest pursuer, her compatriot Aimee Wilson. The 29-year-old diver admits that this great performance during the preliminaries gave her a good dose of confidence for the rest of the day.
My start to the day really pushed me to surpass myself for the final. In qualifying, I think it was one of my best sessions of the year. I am always improving and it is extremely positive. I felt up to it!
Pamela Ware
In the final, Aimee Wilson finished fourth (291.45) while Italian Chiara Pellacani was victorious by virtue of her 320.30 points. Sweden’s Emilia Nilsson Garip (318.15) won the silver medal.
“It was very close with Aimee during the final. We’re good friends outside the pool, we allow each other to cheer each other on even when we’re competing and I think that’s positive for both of us,” Ware commented.
Fourth and seventh respectively in qualifying, Olivia Chamandy and Katelyn Fung were unable to participate in the final due to the limit of two athletes per country in the final round.
Pamela Ware will be busy in Bolzano over the weekend, competing in the 3m synchronized final with Wilson on Saturday and then the 1m springboard event on Sunday. She intends to take the opportunity to add a few medals to her collection.
“We will only be two teams tomorrow for the synchro event, so we want nothing less than the gold medal. For the 1m, it will be a lot of work, but I can afford to hope to finish with gold as well,” concluded Ware.
A first senior medal for Carson Paul
In his second international senior competition at just 17 years old, Carson Paul impressed by finishing third in the 10m platform with 399.85 points. A special performance that he will remember for a very long time.
“It was really fun here in Bolzano. The competition was outdoors, with the wind, it adds a degree of difficulty. I’m glad I was consistent throughout the day. I was very close to second place and with a few tweaks I could have made it, but I’m very proud of my bronze medal,” commented Paul.
“I’m happy to have had the chance to take part in this competition. It’s a first medal for the seniors which means a lot to me and it motivates me enormously for the future,” he added.
Italians Andreas Sargent Larsen (429.10) and Riccardo Giovannini (401.50) won the gold and silver medals respectively. Quebecer Matt Cullen finished fourth, just behind Paul, with his 378.95 points.
It was the only event on the program for Paul in Bolzano, but he assures that the travel and the intensive training will have been worth it.
“Even if I hadn’t had a medal, I would have been satisfied with the work accomplished beforehand, it’s sure that it adds something more now that I have the bronze around my neck,” said Paul.
Bolzano’s invitation continues Saturday and Sunday as several other Canadian athletes make their debut.