BIRMINGHAM, UK –
Canada opened rhythmic gymnastics competition at the Commonwealth Games on Thursday with a gold medal in the team event.
Tatiana Cocsanova, Carmel Kallemaa and Suzanna Shahbazian combined for a score of 272.95 to finish ahead of Australia (268.65) and England (267.05).
“The feeling that I think (will) be hard to describe over the next few days until I get home and realize I’m a Commonwealth champion,” Kallemaa said. “So I think the feeling will come a bit later. Right now everything is so amazing.”
Canada remained third in the medal standings heading into the final three days of competition with 59 (17 gold, 20 silver, 22 bronze). Australia lead with 132, followed by England with 118.
Caeli McKay won Canada’s other medal of the day when she captured bronze in the women’s 10-metre dive at the Commonwealth Games on Thursday, collecting a medal with her favorite dive.
“I’m very happy. It was definitely a bit of a flimsy event, not the best I’ve ever run, but I’m happy to go home with a medal,” she said.
The 23-year-old Calgary swimmer struggled on her second dive, but recovered with her third – and a 3 1/2 inward somersault from a tuck position.
“He’s someone I can count on when I’m under pressure,” she said. “I was a little frustrated after my second dive and I thought I had to wake up and get in the game. So that’s usually my come-back dive.”
McKay scored 317.50 points overall for bronze.
England finished 1-2, with Andrea Spendolini Sirieix winning the gold medal with a score of 357.50 and Lois Mae Toulson finishing second (37.30).
McKay will compete in the synchronized platform with Celina Toth on Saturday.
It only took one pitch for Camryn Rogers to provide the highlight of the day in track and field. The Richmond, B.C. native, who won silver at the recent world championships, threw a Commonwealth Games record 74.68 meters in the women’s hammer throw qualifying round with his one and only throw.
“It’s always the goal (in qualifying), one and it’s done,” Rogers said.
Canada’s men’s and women’s beach volleyball teams went undefeated to top their pools.
Sam Schacter and Daniel Dearing, both of Toronto, capped the group stage with a 2-1 win over Gambia on Thursday.
Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes, the 2019 world champions, finished the group a day early with a 2-0 win over New Zealand.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on August 4, 2023.
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