Canadian diver Rylan Wiens earns 2nd Olympic spot this week at aquatics worlds
Following a brief illness, Rylan Wiens was beaming on the pool deck after clinching his second spot for the Paris Olympics this summer.
The 22-year-old diver from Pike Lake, Sask., scored 75.20 in the sixth and final round of the men’s 10-metre platform event on Saturday, surpassing the 480 points needed for Olympic qualification by 9.2.
“I went out there and just gave it my all, had a great time,” Wiens, who placed fifth in the field of 12, told Diving Canada. “I’m exhausted.
“I think this is the first time in my life I was speechless after [a competition]. The whole week I had lots of expectations … lot of goals and minus a medal I achieved everything I wanted.
“I got sick during the week, didn’t train for a couple of days, came back, couldn’t do a handstand for a while, but I knew what I had to do. I’m just so happy and proud.”
Wiens, who was ninth in 10m platform at 2022 worlds, missed last year’s competition in Fukuoka, Japan with a back injury.
Yang Hao of China won Saturday for a sixth career gold at worlds. He scored 564.05 to beat fellow countryman Cao Yuan (553.20) and Ukraine’s Oleksii Sereda (528.65).
Wiens had a breakout performance at the 2021 World Cup in Japan where he won individual bronze in the 10m platform before a 19th-place effort later that year in his Tokyo Olympic debut.
Wiens, who earlier this week was named 2023 male athlete of the year at the Saskatchewan Sport Awards, missed out on a bronze medal at the Pan Am Games last October in Santiago, Chile.
Nathan Zsombor-Murray of Pointe-Claire, Que., was ninth in Saturday’s competition (452.25) but had previously clinched an Olympic berth.
On Thursday, Wiens and Zsombor-Murray secured an Olympic spot in men’s synchronized 10m platform, placing fifth.
WATCH | Full coverage of men’s 10-metre platform final from Doha:
Watch the men’s 10-metre platform diving final from the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha.
Canada downs New Zealand in pool
Elsewhere, Canada is one step closer to Olympic qualification in women’s water polo.
The 15-member team will face Spain at 9:30 a.m. ET in Monday’s quarterfinals after a 14-12 victory over New Zealand in a crossover match on Saturday at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar.
The Spaniards, who finished first in Group B with a 3-0 record, earned a silver medal at the 2021 Olympics and last year’s worlds.
“[They’re] one of the best teams in the world, so it’s going to be a hard game,” Canada captain Emma Wright said. “We have to make sure we come out [at the start] with a lot of intensity again but make sure we keep it throughout the game.”
The Canadians, who downed New Zealand 13-11 last year in Fukuoka, improved to 3-1.
Canada needs to finish among the top two teams that have yet to qualify for Paris in order to book its ticket.
Hungary and Italy are the other teams left in the Doha tournament to not yet qualify for the Games.
Italy faces Greece, while Hungary takes on the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.
Axelle Crevier scored three times in Saturday’s Round of 16 contest for Canada, which converted 14 of 32 shots for a 44 per cent success rate, compared to 35 per cent for New Zealand (12-for-34).
Player of the game Verica Bakoc, team captain Emma Wright, Serena Browne and Shae La Roche had two goals apiece while Hayley McKelvey, Kindred Paul and Marilia Mimides also scored.
Canada held quarter leads of 5-2, 10-5 and 12-9.
“We started well, just didn’t put away opportunities away in the beginning of the game,” said Canada head coach David Paradelo.
WATCH | Full match coverage — Round of 16: Canada vs. New Zealand:
Watch Canada take on New Zealand in round of 16 action at the 2024 World Aquatic Championships from Doha.
China takes artistic mixed duet free event
China finished a dominant first week with more titles in artistic swimming, and tops the medal table with 16 gold out of 29.
Cheng Wentao and Shi Haoyu retained their world title in the artistic mixed duet free event.
Australia took the other gold on offer Saturday as storied diver Maddison Keeney paired with Domonic Bedggood to win the mixed 3m synchronized springboard, a rare event in which China did not compete.
Ahead of swimming events starting Sunday, Australia’s three gold so far is best of the rest of the world behind the Chinese wave of success in Doha.
Cheng and Shi had taken silver in the mixed duet technical event last weekend, and improved on that in Aspire Dome arena performing a routine on the theme of “Romeo and Juliet.”
“Winning the gold medal at the world championship on the Chinese New Year is indeed a great feeling,” Cheng said.
Their score of 224.1437 points was more than 15 points ahead of silver medallists Mireia Hernandez and Dennis Gonzalez of Spain. Bronze went to Mexico’s Trinidad Meza and Diego Villalobos.
