Canada’s Filion, Benfeito win silver, bronze in 10 metres at diving World Series

WINDSOR, Ont. – Roseline Filion of Laval, Que., and Montreal’s Meaghan Benfeito were on a diving World Series podium together for the first time in theirs careers on Saturday after taking silver and bronze respectively in the women’s 10-metre event.

China’s Qian Ren took the gold medal with 445.25 points, Filion scored 378.85 for silver and Benfeito tallied 372.70 for a bounce-back bronze. The platform pair of Canada’s female diving team each had their highest World Series point totals of the season ahead of next week’s meet in Kazan, Russia, which is the last one before the Rio Olympics.

“It’s really exciting because we are here to put ourselves with the other divers and show them what we have,” said Filion, a 2012 Olympic medallist. “We really want to establish our potential for the competitions coming up — that there are two Canadians who can each be on the podium.”

Filion’s margin for the silver owed to a 79.20-scoring armstand back triple somersault and 76.80-scoring back 2 1/2 somersault 1 1/2 twists.

“What I am really proud of is I was able to do every dive of my list really well,” said Filion, who exceeded her 377.00 score from the Canada Cup Grand Prix in Gatineau, Que., last Sunday. “I was focused on what I had to do, one dive after another.”

Benfeito’s 82.50-scoring second dive, a forward 3 1/2 somersaults, was the highest-graded dive in the final for any competitor other than Ren. Her margin between bronze and silver came down to a 68.80-scoring armstand back double somersault with 1 1/2 twists on her fourth dive.

Benfeito and Vincent Riendeau of Pointe-Claire, Que., earned the 10m mixed synchro silver with 333.60 points, taking a lead into final dives before China’s Xiaohu Tai and Yani Chang earned gold with 337.86. Australia’s Melissa Wu and Domonic Bedggood scored 316.14 for the bronze medal.

The men’s three-metre podium consisted of China’s Yuan Cao (540.15, gold), countryman Chao He (534.95, silver) and Ukraine’s Ilya Kvasha (505.35, bronze).

Francois Imbeau-Dulac of Saint-Lazare, Que., was fourth in his men’s semifinal with 427.60 points, 18 points shy of qualifying for the final. Montreal’s Philippe Gagne was sixth in that semifinal with 403.35.