Benfeito and Filion come through on last dive in Rio
Better late than never for divers Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion.
On Tuesday, the pair from Quebec won bronze in the women’s synchronized 10m platform for the second straight Olympic Games—though it wasn’t looking that way for much of the competition.
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After four out of five dives in the final, the Diving Canada duo was sitting in fifth place. But in their final dive, Benfeito and Filion posted a score of 80.64 to jump into third place.
“It was crazy,” said Filion. “We knew we needed a really good dive on that last one to have a chance at the podium.”
It was then, perhaps, that the memories of having stood on the podium at London 2012 helped propel them forward in Rio.
Canada’s Meaghan Benfeito (left) and Roseline Filion perform in the women’s synchronized 10-meter platform diving final at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016 THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
“We went up there really calm, looked at each other and told each other, ‘We got this,’” said Filion. “We ended up with a great last dive.”
Even if the feeling of winning bronze was a familiar one for the long-time diving partners, it didn’t make the moment at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre any less sweet.
“The feeling was amazing,” said Benfeito. “We’ve worked tirelessly since London to get this medal.
Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion accept their bronze medal for 10m platform diving on August 9, 2016 at Rio 2016.
“We missed on our fourth dive but we got it back on the fifth. To see that ‘three’ flash across the board was amazing.”
And while the performance was a great moment for Team Canada and the divers themselves, it was made extra special for Benfeito by the fact that her parents are both in Brazil, cheering her on.
“My family means a lot to me,” she said. “I know (other family members) are watching back home and screaming with joy.”
