New season begins for Canadian divers at 2009 Winter Senior National Championships February 12-15 in Calgary

February 11th, 2009

Reuben Ross

CALGARY – With an Olympic experience already in their pockets, young Canadian diving standouts Jennifer Abel of Laval, Que., and Reuben Ross of Regina can’t wait to step on the boards at the 2009 Winter Senior National Championships which run this Thursday to Sunday at the Talisman Centre in Calgary.

Abel, 17, capped a breakthrough season in 2008 by qualifying for the Olympics and placing 13 th on women’s three-metre. She also earned her first career Grand Prix medal last year and added a silver medal at the world junior championships.

With all her success, Abel knows better than to rest on her laurels.

“For me I approach this like I’m starting all over again at zero,” said Abel, currently in her last year of high school. “I have new objectives now. It’s almost the same feeling as four years ago at the Winter Nationals when we were starting a new quadrennial.”

The big highlight this season for Canadian divers is the world championships this summer in Rome. Abel plans to increase her focus in the one-metre event which is a medal event at the worlds but not the Olympics.

“I’m currently developing a solid list for the one-metre,” she said. “In particular I’ve added a new dive, a reverse two and a half. My three-metre is already among the most difficult and I left it same for the start of this season.”

Others to watch in women’s competition include Meaghan Benfeito of Montreal, Roseline Filion of Laval and Mandy Moran of Calgary.

On the men’s side, Ross was also a big revelation last year and competed in Beijing on both three and 10-metre. He launched a successful 2008 with triple gold at last year’s Winter Nationals and also won gold on three-metre at the NCAA championships.

This year he plans to continue competing on both board and increase his international schedule. He’s also still diving for the University of Miami this winter.

“It’s very exciting to get back on the national scene and I’m anxious to see how I’ll do,” said Ross, 23, a finalist for Saskatchewan’s male athlete of the year. “It’s going to be a busy year with the nationals, Grand Prix World Series and worlds along with balancing my college schedule. I’m sure I’ll be stronger for it.”

Others to watch in men’s competition this week include Riley McCormick of Victoria, Eric Sehn of Edmonton and François Imbeau-Dulac of St- Lazare, Que.

The meet will help determine Canada`s line-ups for upcoming Grand Prix events including the Canada Cup in Montreal April 30-May 3.

About Diving Plongeon Canada
Diving Plongeon Canada (DPC) was established in 1967 as a not-for-profit organization to promote the growth and awareness of the sport in this country. As a member of FINA, the world’s governing body of aquatic sports, DPC contributes to the development of globally accepted standards of excellence in diving and supports the rules and regulations of international competition. Representing nine provincial diving associations, 67 local diving clubs and close to 4,000 high performance athletes, DPC shares a national commitment to advance the art and sport of diving and to position Canada as the number one diving nation of the world.  For information, visit www.diving.ca.

- 30 -