By DONNA SPENCER -- Canadian Press
MONTREAL -- Canada will take what is being touted as its best diving team ever to the Olympic Games in Sydney in September.
Canada's divers have the potential to bring home three medals from the women's competition.
"I think what we have here is a fantastic team," said national team coach Mitch Geller.
At the very least, Geller expects six of his eight divers to do better than the Canadian Olympic Association requirements, which is 16th or better.
"If that doesn't happen, nobody is coming home," Geller said.
Anne Montminy, ranked second in the world in the women's 10-metre tower, and Emilie Heymans of Montreal, ranked fourth, will represent Canada in that event. Montminy will be a three-time Olympian.
Eryn Bulmer of Edmonton and Blythe Hartley of North Vancouver, B.C., make up the women's three-metre springboard contingent. Bulmer is capable of winning a medal and could also pick up some hardware with Hartley in synchronized diving, which is a new event at the Olympics.
Geller hopes Montreal's Alex Despatie, at 15 the youngest diver ever to represent Canada, can finish top eight or even top six in the men's 10-metre platform. Chris Kalec of Laval, Que., joins Despatie on the tower.
Calgary's Jeff Liberty wants to finish in the top 12 in the men's three-metre springboard.
Edmonton's Arturo Miranda was denied a chance to dive for Cuba at the 1992 Olympics because Cuba wanted a guaranteed medal. The 29-year-old began diving for Canada this year and finished second Sunday to earn a trip to Sydney.
"This time I'm going to the prom," Miranda said.
China and Russia will be Canada's main competition with Germany and the U.S. in the mix.
"I feel it's up to our women. If they dive how they should dive, they should take home some piece of hardware," Geller said. "Otherwise they're giving it away.
"Women's three-metre, Canada is expected to take a medal. In the 10-metre, it's assumed the Chinese will win that event. They would have to give away the gold. The silver and bronze are up for grabs and Canada is as strong as anybody else in that race."
Montminy, 25, had stellar preliminaries and semifinals to earn a 51-point cushion and finished strong in Sunday's final.
"I didn't want to get rattled by this morning. I didn't want to get overconfident and I wasn't," Montminy said. "I was still scared going into this event, even with a 50-point (lead).
"These girls are good. You never know what can happen."
Heymans trailed Myriam Boileau by 0.09 points going into the final, but moved past Boileau by nailing dives with a higher degree of difficulty. Even though the race for the last Olympic berth was tight, Heymans said she never considered going to easier dives.
"Those dives I'm always practising," Heymans said. "I'm not practising other dives. You can't really go into a competition and change dives.
"Even if they're hard, I can do them very well."
The race for the two berths in men's springboard became wide open when Philippe Comtois, Canada's top male springboard diver, tore ligaments in his leg at an event in May.
Liberty, 22, said that didn't change his expectations coming into the trials.
"A diver can't really worry about who is there and who isn't there," said Liberty, a first-time Olympian. "I just came in to do my 17 dives and whatever happens happens."
Comtois said Sunday he was awaiting word on whether he would be able to appeal to Geller to be added to the Canadian team later if his injury allows him to compete this summer.
"The discussion hasn't been had," Geller said. "Our team has been picked. I don't think he should be holding out much hope. I would be hard pressed to make any changes."
Although Canada has qualified for the synchronized event in the women's 10-metre tower, Geller doubts Canada will enter a team because Heymans and Montminy train at different clubs. Hartley and Bulmer both train at Dive Calgary.
