Canada's Ware, Vallée miss podium by less than 2 points at diving worlds
CBC Sports | Posted: July 17, 2023 12:35 PM | Last Updated: July 18, 2023
Chinese women dominate 3-metre synchro event
Canadian divers came up just short at the at the World Aquatics Championships in on Monday in Fukuoka, Japan.
Competing in the women's women's 3-metre synchronized springboard event, Pamela Ware and Mia Vallée placed fifth with a score of 284.22, less than two points behind bronze medallist Chiara Pellacani and Elena Bertocchi of Italy (285.99).
Chinese divers Yani Chang and Yiwen Chen had little resistance in capturing gold.
Chang and Chen easily outdistanced their opponents in winning with a score of 341.94.
Great Britain's team of Scarlett Mew Jensen and Yasmin Harper finished second with 296. 58. Americans Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook (285.39) were fourth.
WATCH | Full coverage of women's 3-metre synchro springboard final:
This was Ware's second close call at securing Canada's first medal at the diving worlds.
The Longueuil, Que., was fourth in the one-metre springboard event on Saturday. Ware, of Longueuil, Que., finished the final with a total score of 284.40 points, just 0.65 points behind bronze medallist Aranza Vazquez Montano of Mexico.
Vallée of Beaconsfield, Que., who won bronze in the mixed 10m platform at the 2022 world championships, failed to qualify for the final.
WATCH | Canada's most memorable moments at the World Aquatics Championships:
Canadian women 6th in acrobatic routine
Elsewhere, Canada's artistic swimmers placed sixth of 12 teams in the women's acrobatic routine, amassing 205.49 points.
China won the competition with 238 points, followed by the United States (232.40) and Japan (220.58).
The Canadians fared well in artistic impression but the gap from the top squads was greater when they were judged in their execution.
Canada takes 1st match in men's water polo
Canada's men's water polo team opened competition in Group B with a 13-10 victory over China.
The Canadians jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first quarter before their opponent responded with six goals in the second and trailed 7-6 at the half.
After the teams played even in the third quarter, Canada blanked China 2-0 in the final quarter.
Next game for the Canadians is Wednesday at 9 a.m. ET against Italy, which defeated France 13-6 in its first game Monday.
WATCH | Full coverage of men's water polo — Canada vs. China:
Hedlin, O'Regan lead Canada in 5K open water races
Canadian men turned in two top-30 finishes as open water swimming continued with the five-kilometre races Monday night.
Two-time medallist Eric Hedlin of Victoria was Canada's top finisher with a 26th-place finish, 2:56 behind Florian Wellbrock of Germany. Calgary's Benjamin Cote came 29th, 3:26.1 behind Wellbrock, who also won the 10-kilometre event earlier in the championships.
Hedlin pushed as far forward as 20th heading into the final kilometre, but said an elbow to the nose derailed his final positioning — just two seconds from 21st.
With the temperature well above 30 Celsius for the later of the two races at Seaside Momochi Beach Park, Cote found the heat challenging.
Etobicoke, Ont., native Bailey O'Regan, who trains with the Sarasota Sharks, finished 33rd in the women's 5K, 2:55.3 behind winner Leonie Beck of Germany.
The 17-year-old was the top finishing junior swimmer, and eighth-youngest competitor overall in the 63-swimmer field.