Canada's Mia Vallée, Amar Dhesi win gold medals at Commonwealth Games | CBC Sports (original) (raw)

Canadian divers and wrestlers added to the country's medal haul on Day 8 of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Mia Vallée won gold in the women's one-metre springboard diving final on Friday, while Canadian Olympian Amar Dhesi won gold in the men's 125-kilogram freestyle wrestling division later in the day.

Canada has won 19 gold, 24 silver and 24 bronze for a total of 67 medals at these Games, which currently has them third in the standings behind Australia (140) and England (131).

Vallée topped the podium after amassing 291.85 points on five dives at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre in Birmingham, England.

WATCH l Vallée tops podium in 1m springboard:

Quebec's Mia Vallée dives to a Commonwealth gold medal

Mia Vallée of Kirkland, Que., amassed 291.85 points on the way to winning a gold medal in the women's one-metre springboard final at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

Vallée's best score came on her second dive — inward 2 ½ somersaults — to earn 65.10 points. The 21-year-old from Kirkland, Que., was coming off a bronze medal in the same event at the world championships in June.

"I think I've learned throughout the past year to really put [my competition] aside and just mostly dive for myself," said Vallée. "I think that's the best way I can put it. In competition that allows me to focus on myself and try and do my best."

Calgary's Margo Erlam finished ninth with 239.25 points.

Dhesi pinned Pakistan's Zaman Anwar in the gold-medal match to claim the men's 125 kg title.

The 26-year-old from Surrey, B.C., advanced to the final with a semifinal win over India's Mohit Grewal, who went on to win bronze.

WATCH l Dhesi wins wrestling gold:

B.C. wrestler Amar Dhesi grabs gold at Commonwealth Games

Amar Dhesi of Surrey, B.C., pinned Pakistan's Zaman Anwar in the gold-medal match to claim the men's 125 kg title at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

Wiens, Zsombor-Murray dive to silver

Fellow Canadian divers Rylan Wiens and Nathan Zsombor-Murray added to Canada's medal total in the pool.

Wiens and Zsombor-Murray delivered an impressive performance while finishing second in the synchronized 10m platform final with a total of 413.85 points. The duo earned bronze in the same event at the world aquatics championships last month.

England's Matthew Lee and Noah Williams claimed gold in front of the home crowd with 429.78 points, while Australia's Domonic Bedggood and Cassiel Rousseau won bronze with 412.56.

WATCH | Canadian divers Wiens, Zsombor-Murray claim silver:

Canadian duo Wiens, Zsombor-Murray dive to Commonwealth Games silver

Canadian divers Rylan Wiens of Saskatoon and Nathan Zsombor-Murray of Pointe-Claire, Que., finished second in the men's synchronized 10-metre platform final at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

Canadian wrestlers add 3 silver, 2 bronze

Canadian freestyle wrestlers Lachlan McNeil, Ana Godinez Gonzalez, Linda Morais, Hannah Taylor and Alex Moore also reached the podium on Friday.

Gonzalez was pinned by India's Sakshi Malik in the women's 62-kilogram gold-medal match, finishing with silver.

The 22-year-old from Coquitlam, B.C., defeated Scotland's Abbie Fountain by technical superiority in the quarter-finals, and she went on to beat Nigeria's Esther Kolawole in the semifinals.

WATCH l Gonzalez finishes with silver:

B.C. wrestler Ana Godinez Gonzalez gets silver medal at Commonwealth Games

Freestyle wrestler Ana Godinez Gonzalez of Coquitlam, B.C., was pinned by India's Sakshi Malik in the women's 62-kilogram gold-medal match at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

McNeil captured silver in the men's 65 kg weight class earlier in the day. The 21-year-old from North York, Ont., lost the gold-medal match against Indian Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia by points, falling short of his first senior title.

McNeil advanced to the final after defeating Scotland's Ross Connelly in the quarter-finals and Pakistan's Inayat Ullah in the semifinals. He captured gold at the 2021 Junior Pan-American Championships.

WATCH l McNeil adds silver medal:

Toronto wrestler Lachlan McNeil settles for silver at Commonwealth Games

Freestyle wrestler Lachlan McNeil of Toronto lost to Indian Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia in the men's 65-kilogram weight class bout at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

Morais added Canada's third silver medal of the day later on Friday in the women's 68 kg division.

The 29-year-old from Tecumseh, Ont., lost to Nigerian Olympic medallist Blessing Oborududu in the gold-medal match.

WATCH l Morais reaches podium:

Ontario wrestler Linda Morais claims silver at Commonwealth Games

Freestyle wrestler Linda Morais of Tecumseh, Ont., lost to Nigerian Olympic medallist Blessing Oborududu in the women's 68 kg division gold-medal bout at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

Taylor, Moore win bronze-medal matches

Taylor captured bronze in the women's 57 kg weight class. The 24-year-old from Cornwall, P.E.I., pinned Kenya's Sophia Omutichio Ayieta in a bronze-medal match that lasted just 35 seconds.

Taylor started the day with a win over Singapore's Danielle Sue Ching Lim in the quarter-finals, but she missed a shot at gold after falling in the semis to defending champion Odunayo Adekuoroye of Nigeria, who went on to win gold once again.

WATCH l Taylor pins her way to bronze:

P.E.I.'s Hannah Taylor pins her way to a bronze medal at Commonwealth Games

It took just 35 seconds for freestyle wrestler wrestler Hannah Taylor of Cornwall, P.E.I. to defeat Kenya's Sophia Omutichio Ayieta, and claim the bronze medal in the women's 57-kilogram weight class at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

Moore was victorious in the men's 86 kg bronze-medal match against New Zealand's Matthew Oxenham, winning 10-0 by technical superiority.

The 24-year-old Montreal native was defeated in the semifinal by India's Deepak Punia, who topped the podium later on Friday.

Moore cruised past Nigeria's Ekerekeme Agiomor in the 1/8 finals before claiming another dominant victory in the quarter-finals over Suresh Chanaka Warnakulasuriya Fernando of Sri Lanka.

WATCH l Moore wins bronze:

Montreal's Alex Moore wrestles to a Commonwealth Games bronze medal

Montreal's Alex Moore was victorious in the men's 86 kg bronze-medal match against New Zealand's Matthew Oxenham at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

Beach volleyballers advance to semis

Canada's women's and men's beach volleyball teams remained undefeated after topping their groups earlier in the competition and advanced to the semfinals with straight-sets victories on Friday by the same scoreline.

Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes, the 2019 world champions, defeated Sri Lanka's Deepika Bandara and Chathurika Weerasinghe (21-9, 21-11).

Sam Schacter and Daniel Dearing, both from Toronto, earned a win over Cyprus' Antonios Liotatis and Charalambos Zorbis (21-9, 21-11).

Rodney, Harrison advance

Canadian Brendon Rodney, who was part of the 4x100m team that won gold at the World Athletics Championships, advanced to the 200m final on Friday after placing second in his heat at 20.68 seconds.

Meanwhile, fellow Canadian Michelle Harrison is on to the women's 100m hurdles final after placing third in her semifinal at 12.85 seconds.