Some of the best divers in Canada are coming back to Windsor.
The city will host the 2019 Summer Senior Diving Nationals from May 24 to 26.
The event will crown the 2019 Canadian Champions and be a qualifier for the 2019 FINA World Championships.
“We’re thrilled to go back to Windsor, we had great experiences there when we hosted the World Series”, shared Mitch Geller, Diving Plongeon Canada’s chief technical officer. “We’ve always felt so welcomed, we feel at home in Windsor, as do all our divers. And we love the fact that Windsor is considered neutral ground, so for all teams being selected from this event, everybody feels that they’re getting a fair shake.”
Over 50 athletes representing close to twenty clubs from seven Canadian provinces will take part in the competition in May, including Jennifer Abel, Meaghan Benfeito, François Imbeau-Dulac and Philippe Gagné.
The contested events – 1m, 3m and 10m individual and synchro - will be held at the Windsor International Aquatic and Training Centre, a facility that successfully hosted the FINA Diving World Series circuit from 2014 to 2017.
This will be the first time the facility hosts a national diving championships.
"We are very excited to have an event like this back at our pool. The World Series event was instrumental in getting our program off the ground and hosting Nationals this summer will be a big boost to the club. Having the best divers in Canada training and competing in front of our local athletes will be very special for us”, said Ioana Marinescu, head coach of the Windsor Diving Club.
The Windsor Diving Club was launched in 2016, in part due to legacies put in place through the hosting of the Diving World Series over numerous years. This club was launched to support the long-term grassroots development of diving in the region.
“The World Series played a key role in launching our program and hosting the National Championships here at home this summer will be a great way to show everyone how far we have come as a club”, added Marinescu, an ex-diver who participated in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
“Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island is proud to be a sponsor for the 2019 Summer Senior Diving Nationals and we look forward to welcoming divers from seven Canadian provinces to Windsor,” added Gordon Orr, Chief Executive Officer, Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island.
Admission to the event is free.
