Meaghan Benfeito, Rose Filion advance to 10m platform semifinal
Canadians qualify 7th, 9th after winning bronze medal last week in 10m synchro
By Doug Harrison, CBC Sports
Two-time Olympic synchro bronze medallists and good solo acts to boot.
Diving duo Meaghan Benfeito and Rose Filion from Laval, Que., qualified for Thursday's semifinals in the women's Olympic 10-metre platform in Rio de Janeiro. The semis are scheduled for 9 a.m. ET and the final at 3 p.m.
- SCHEDULE & RESULTS: Diving at Rio 2016
- VIDEO: Canada's Benfeito starts strong on way to qualifying 7th
- VIDEO: Canada's Filion saves best dive for last
- Benfeito, Filion win bronze in Rio synchro
Benfeito, 27, sits seventh after accumulating 329.15 points in her five dives at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre on Wednesday, while the 29-year-old Filion is ninth with 323.55 points.
- WATCH: Roseline Filion advances to the 10m platform semifinals
- WATCH: Canada's Meghan Benfeito starts high in the 10m platform
- WATCH: Reigning world champion does not qualify for 10m platform semifinals
The top 18 competitors move on from the preliminary round but one medal favourite, reigning world champion Kim Kuk-hyang, failed to advance. The 17-year-old from North Korea finished 25th with 263.20 points and scored 26.1 on her fourth dive, receiving three scores of 3.0 from the judges.
China's Si Yajie and Ren Qian, also considered favourites to reach the podium in Rio, sit 1-2 with 397.45 and 385.80 points, respectively.
On Aug. 9, Benfeito and Filion came from behind to win Canada's fifth medal of the Rio Games and defended their bronze from the 2012 London Olympics.
Benfeito, who won bronze at last summer's Pan Am Games in Toronto, came out strong Wednesday and was in top spot following her first dive with a score of 76.80. She got great rotation on a back 2 ½ somersault with 1 ½ twists and strong extension to get rip entry into the pool.
Struggles at practice
After scoring 63.00 on a forward 3 ½ somersault, a dive which makes her nervous, Benfeito improved to 70.95 on her third dive, a back 3 ½ tuck.
Benfeito had her lowest score of 51.20 on her fifth and final dive, a 3 ½ tuck. She struggled with the dive at practice earlier in the week and on Wednesday she left it short, falling too far back from the platform and receiving two 5.5s and a 5.0.
Filion, on the other hand, saved her best dive for last.
On a back 2 ½ with 1 ½ twists, she got great jump from the platform and great entry in the pool to earn three 8.0s for a total of 76.80.
Sitting 11th after two dives, Filion held the somersault too long on her third, a forward 3 ½ pike, and scored 60.00.
She followed it up with a 54.45 on her fourth dive.