For the first time in nearly a decade — since Riley McCormick and Rachel Kemp broke onto the international scene at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games — there won’t be a Victoria Boardworks diver representing Canada in a summer featuring a major Games or FINA world championship.
But the next wave is on the way.
Celina Toth of Victoria Boardworks won the women’s 10-metre platform Sunday as the Canadian championships concluded at Saanich Commonwealth Place. The victory will get Toth, a 23-year-old University of Victoria psychology student, to the 2015 World University Games in South Korea. But not to the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games or 2015 FINA world championships in Kazan, Russia.
That’s because the so-called Fab Four from Quebec — Roselin Filion, Jennifer Abel, Meaghan Benfeito and Pamela Ware — had already qualified for the four Canadian women’s spots into the Pan Am Games and worlds, and so were exempted from competing at nationals. The four will be medal threats this summer in Toronto and Russia and next year for the 2016 Rio Olympics. But with Toth knocking on the door.
“I want to destroy the Fab Four. I was hoping they would be here. But a medal is a medal. They need to watch out,” said Toth.
That’s just the kind of competitive spirit Diving Canada coaches and officials love to see.
“If they [Fab Four] weren’t pre-selected, I could have made the team [for Pan Ams and worlds]. It’s maybe unfair. But they are the best,” said Toth.
Toth won gold Sunday with a 367.35 total after the six dives of the final round, followed by silver-medallist Eloise Belanger of Montreal at 290.60 and Caeli McKay of Calgary at 275.35.
“Nobody really expected me to do well this weekend, but I trained hard all year and felt myself getting stronger,” said Toth, about her recovery from a Stage 2 tear in her elbow last year.
“I was ready to show what I have been working on. And it was cool to do it in my home pool. It gave me an edge and confidence boost.”
Toth said she believes she can crash the Fab Four party and make the team for the 2016 Rio Olympics, but that Tokyo 2020 “is probably more realistic.”
The next generation of Boardworks divers also emerged earlier in the weekend with Ryan Grover’s silver medal in men’s one-metre and fellow Clarement Grade 11 student Aidan Faminoff’s sixth-place in men’s 10-metre platform.
Meanwhile, the passing of the torch may have been evident with two-time Olympian McCormick’s seventh place-finish in the men’s three-metre Sunday, as Jamie Bissett won gold with 437.10 points.
“I shouldn’t be seventh at the nationals, especially in my home pool. It’s a little embarrassing,” said McCormick, who was noticeably compromised by a rotator cuff injury.
“I can’t lift above my head, but I gave it my best.”
McCormick, finalist on the platform at London 2012 following his debut at Beijing 2008, hopes his health holds out long enough for the career Olympic hat-trick next year at Rio. But maybe it’s time to look to the future at Boardworks. He pointed to the likes of Toth and Grover.
“They will definitely be on the international scene,” said McCormick.
