May 23, 2013
Abel and Ware soar at 2013 Summer Senior Nationals
QUEBEC CITY – Jennifer Abel of Laval and Pamela Ware of Beloeil, Que., posted a personal best score en route to the gold medal and a berth on the world championship team on women’s thee-metre synchro on Thursday at the 2013 Summer Senior Nationals diving competition.
In addition to being a qualifying event for the FINA World Championships July 19 to August 4 in Barcelona, spots will also be determined for the World University Games July 6-17 in Kazan, Russia.
Abel and Ware, a new partnership this season, totalled 324.27 to easily beat the world team qualifying standard. Emma Friesen of North Vancouver and Hailey Casper of Calgary were second at 273.03.
“It went extremely well,” said Abel, an Olympic bronze medallist in the event last year with Emilie Heymans. “We executed our dives really well. We were a bit penalized on the third dive but it’s not something that worries us.”
This is the sixth competition this year for Abel and Ware. They won the Winter Nationals title in February, earned two medals in three appearances on the FINA World Series circuit and added silver three weeks ago at the Canada Cup Grand Prix in Gatineau.
“We improved all facets of our diving,” said Ware, 20. “The level of our first two dives in particular was much higher.”
On women’s one-metre, which is an event at the world championships, Friesen took top spot with 271.90. Eloise Bélanger of Montreal was second at 259.95 and Jo-Annie Dubois of Quebec City third at 236.95.
‘’It was a really good warm-up for the three-metre,’’ said Friesen, a silver medallist at the USA Grand Prix on three-metre two weeks ago. ‘’There was pressure as the defending champion and I performed well while feeling nervous. I have to accept that it’s part of the excitement.’’
Competition continues through to Sunday at Université Laval.