Diver Jennifer Abel becomes most decorated Canadian athlete at world aquatics | CBC Sports (2024)

CBC Sports

· Posted: Jul 15, 2019 8:57 AM EDT | Last Updated: July 15, 2019

Canada collected a silver medal at the world aquatics championships on Monday as Jennifer Abel and Mélissa Citrini-Beaulieu,​​​​​​finished second in the women's three-metre synchronized event in Gwangju, South Korea.

The Canadians completed the event with 311.10 points, 30.90 behind gold medallist Han Wang andShiTingmao of China.

WATCH | Jennifer Abel makes history:

Mexico's Melany Hernandez Torresand Paola Espinosa Sanchez (294.90) took home the bronze medal.

Abel, of Laval, Que., earned her ninth career world aquatics medal, surpassing retired diver Alex Despatie and swimmer Ryan Cochrane for the most medals ever won by a Canadian at the biennial meet.

• FINA World Aquatics Championship coverage calendar

"So much was on the line today,"said Abel, 27. "We wanted to qualify the country for the Olympics and there was also the possibility for me to become Canada's most decorated athlete at the world championships. I'm also very proud that I managed to win a medal at the last five world championships in this event."

Tokyo will be the first Olympic Games for Citrini-Beaulieu, 24, who became Abel's teammate after Rio 2016.

Steady force

"Everything feels like a dream right now," Citrini-Beaulieu said. "I can't believe it finally happened. We put so much work into this and I'm so proud of us. We knew what was on the line, we knew exactly what we had to do and I'm impressed by the way we approached the competition today.

"I've been dreaming about the Olympic Games since I was a kid, it feels unreal … someone needs to pinch me."

Abel andCitrini-Beaulieu, ofSaint-Constant, Que., have been a steady force of the World Diving Series this season, earning two silver medals along with a bronze.

WATCH |Abel, Citrini-Beaulieureflect on silver medal:

Later Monday, Canada's Vincent Riendeau and Nathan Zsombor-Murray came 11th in the men's 10-metre synchronized diving event.

Canada just missed the podium in the women's team highlight artistic swim event on Monday, finishing fourth.

WATCH | Jennifer Abel on her future:

Chen Aisen wins China's 7th gold at these worlds

Chinese diver Chen Aisen won his third straight world championship title by partnering with Cao Yuan in the men's 10-meter platform synchronized diving event Monday.

China took its overall tally at these swimming world championships to seven gold medalsin the diving events as Wang Han and Shi Tingmao finished first in the women's 3-metrespringboard synchronized event.

Chen and Cao earned 486.93 points to beat silver medallists Aleksandr Bondar and Viktor Minibaev of Russia, who finished with 444.60. Tom Daley and Matty Lee of Britain took bronze with 425.91 points.

Chen, a double Olympic champion, has now won world championship gold in the event with three different partners. He won his first title with Lin Yue in 2015 and then teamed up with Yang Hao in 2017.

The competition runs through July 28.

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