Canadian diver Caeli McKay wins Commonwealth Games bronze | TBEN Sports

Canadian diver Caeli McKay took bronze on Thursday for the 58th Canadian medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The 23-year-old from Calgary reached the podium in the final of the women’s 10-meter platform after racking up 317.50 points over five dives at the Sandwell Aquatics Center in Birmingham, England.

“I’m very happy. It was definitely a bit of a shaky event, not the best I’ve ever put on, but I’m happy to come home with a medal,” she said.

England’s Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix claimed gold in the final dive of the event, finishing with 357.50 points. Countryman Lois Mae Toulson took silver (337.30).

Fellow Canadian Olympian Celina Toth of Victoria, BC, finished sixth with 298.40 points.

VIEW | McKay rises to bronze:

McKay was in fourth place after scoring 64.50 points on her opening dive, and she dropped to seventh with just 56.00 points on her second dive. But she bounced back with a strong third dive – 3 flips in – earning 75.20 points, jumping her into second place with 195.70 going into the penultimate round.

“That’s one I can count on when I’m under pressure,” she said. “I got a little frustrated after my second dive and told myself to wake up and get in the game. So that’s usually my comeback dive.”

Spendolini-Sirieix eventually took first place with an impressive final dive that yielded 86.40 points.

McKay finished fourth in the preliminary round with 302.70 points, while Toth secured her spot in the final by finishing fifth with 297.30 points.

She severely tore ligaments in her left ankle just a few weeks before the Tokyo Olympics last summer, but she persevered and finished fourth in the 10m synchronized platform event alongside now retired Meaghan Benfeito.

Canada has won 16 gold, 20 silver and 22 bronze in seven days of competition at the Commonwealth Games.

Rogers sets Games record in women’s hammer throw

Canadian hammer thrower Camryn Rogers qualified for the women’s final with the best throw of the preliminary round earlier on Thursday.

The 23-year-old from Richmond, BC, set a Games record with a throw of 74.68 meters on her first and only throw of the day.

“That’s always the goal [in qualifying]one and done,” Rogers said.

Fellow Canadians Kaila Butler and Jillian Weir also qualified for Saturday’s final with throws of 63.34m and 60.96m respectively.

Rodney advances to 200m semifinals

Two-time Olympic medalist sprinter Brendon Rodney secured his spot in the semi-finals of the men’s 200m, which will take place on Friday.

The 30-year-old from Etobicoke, Ontario, posted a time of 20.84 seconds – the best in his heat.

Rodney took a gold medal in the men’s 4x100m relay at the World Championships in Athletics last month in Eugene, Oregon.

Beach volleyball players undefeated

The Canadian men’s and women’s beach volleyball teams remained unbeaten at the top of their groups.

Sam Schacter and Daniel Dearing, both from Toronto, closed the group stage on Thursday with a 2-1 win over Gambia.

Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes, the world champions of 2019, closed the group game a day earlier with a 2-0 victory over New Zealand.