The sacrifices and years of hard work by Montreal resident Caeli McKay and nine other members of the Canadian team were celebrated at Montreal’s Olympic Park. In front of her home crowd, the Calgary native is proud to dive and showcase her talent.
From May 5 to 7, 2023, 117 divers from 21 different countries gathered at the Olympic Park to showcase their skills and routines during the second stop of the Diving World Cup. Fans and athletes alike enjoyed coming together to watch nine different finals!
To host this prestigious event, Diving Plongeon Canada took charge of the organization, and every effort was made to showcase this multifaceted sport. As a host city alongside China and Germany, Montreal has every reason to be proud of its organization.
As Caeli McKay told us, “ “This organization is amazing. Canada does a really good job hosting this kind of event, and we obviously know how to draw a crowd ” (The organization is great. Canada does a really good job hosting this type of event, and we obviously know how to attract crowds, free translation).
At age 16, the young woman—now 23—left her native Alberta, her family, friends, and familiar surroundings to come train in Montreal. Her dedication and sacrifices were clearly appreciated by the large crowd in attendance. To her great delight, Caeli McKay had the chance to dive in front of her family, who had traveled to Montreal especially for her!
So it was in her own pool that the Canadian athlete returned to competition following surgery last October. In doing so, she gained valuable experience and shared the competition with her Canadian teammates.
“ “I think this event is one of the best events we’ll ever attend, aside from the Olympics and a few other games ” (I think this event is one of the best we’ll ever attend, apart from the Olympics and a few other games, free translation), she tells us, filled with emotion.
It was a particularly successful weekend for the Canadian team! Caeli McKay earned a respectable 5th place finish in the 10-meter platform final, and the other athletes also had plenty of great performances.
Highlights include the bronze medal won by the Vallée–Ware duo in the women’s 3-meter synchronized springboard event and Nathan ZSOMBOR MURRAY’s third-place finish in the 10-meter platform event. Ware also claimed an individual silver medal (in the 3-meter event), and the Canadian mixed team also took second place on the podium.
