Canadian Sport News (CSN

May 7, 2000

MONTMINY DIVES FOR BRONZE AT PANTENE PRO-V COLOR CANADA CUP

MONTREAL--Anne Montminy of Pointe-Claire, Que., won a bronze medal in a women's 10-metre tower event Sunday at the PANTENE PRO-V COLOR Canada Cup diving competition.

It was Canada's third medal of the competition which is the seventh of 14 stops on the FINA Grand Prix circuit. Sanx Xue of China won a see-saw battle on the tower with her compatriot Li Na totalling 548.25 points. Na, the World Cup and defending Grand Prix champion, entered two of the five rounds in the final with the lead but settled for second at 546.57.  Montminy, 25, couldn't capitalize on some rare errors by the Chinese and totalled 517.26 for third.  She scored lower than usual on her front three and half in the second round and her handstand dive in the fourth.  Both are high in degree of difficulty and could have been worth big points. "It wasn't fantastic," said Montminy, ranked number-two in the world.  "The two dives I struggled on are both clutch ones for me.  On the handstand my coach told me to go strong on top but I guess I forgot about the bottom part. I need to fine tune everything in preparation for the Olympic trials (June 9-11).  I'm a bit sloppy right now."

Myriam Boileau of Montreal, the World Cup champion in 1997, was fifth at 482.16, world junior champion Blythe Hartley of North Vancouver, B.C., eighth at 454.14 and Caroline Lauzon of Montreal 11th at 405.99.

On men's three-metre, China earned its fifth gold of the competition as Wang Tianling placed first at 661.47.  Ken Terauchi of Japan took a surprise silver at 651.72 while Yu Zhuocheng of China settled for third at 650.22.

Canadian champion Jeff Liberty of Calgary was eighth at and Arturo Miranda of Edmonton 11th. "The dives are there but I need to be sharper all around," said Liberty, who'll vie for a spot on the Olympic team on both three and 10-metres. "There's lots to work on.  This meet was very important to determine what we need to improve for the trials."

China dominated the competition with 10 medals in six events (five gold- three silver- two bronze). Cuba won the other gold while Canada earned a silver and two bronze. The other Canadian medal winners were Megan Farrow of Edmonton and Kari Frank of Calgary on women's synchronized three-metres Saturday and Eryn Bulmer of Calgary on women's three-metre Friday.

Sunday's results at the PANTENE PRO-V Canada Cup diving competition in

Montreal:

MEN

Three-metre (final):

1. Wang Tianling, China, 661.47; 2. Ken Terauchi, Japan, 651.72; 3. Yu Zhuocheng, China, 650.22; 4. Chris Devine, U.S., 608.55; 5. Andreas Wels, Germany, 606.39; 6. Alexandr Dobroskok, Russia, 605.01; 7. Erick Fornaris, Cuba, 591.00; 8. Jeff Liberty, Calgary, 580.05; 9. Rio Ramirez, U.S., 575.31; 10. Luis Lopez, Cuba, 569.70; 11. Arturo Miranda, Edmonton,  537.93.

WOMEN

10-metre  (final):

1. Sang Xue, China, 548.25; 2. Li Na, China, 546.57; 3. Anne Montminy, Pointe-Claire, Que., 517.26; 4. Svetlana Timoshinina, Russia, 487.80; 5. Myriam Boileau, Montreal, 482.16; 6. Kim Berbari, U.S., 470.07; 7. Kathy Pesek, U.S., 463.32; 8. Blythe Hartley, North Vancouver, B.C., 454.14; 9. Annika Walter, Germany, 409.38; 10. Eugenia Olshevskaya, Russia, 408.42; 11. Caroline Lauzon, Montreal, 405.99.