Heymans takes new road to Olympic podium

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Story Content

• Unexpected setback
• Diving Canada guidelines
• Beats world champion

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The Canadian Olympic trials were supposed to be an easy route for diver Emilie Heymans on her road to the Beijing Games.

The St-Lambert, Que., native headed to Victoria last month with partner Marie-Eve Marleau as the world's second ranked team in the women's 10-metre synchro. An Olympic berth appeared to be a mere formality.

The stage was set for Heymans, who joined Marleau of Laval, Que., in April of 2007, to continue her quest of equalling the Canadian Olympic records of Caroline Brunet, Phil Edwards, Leslie Thompson-Willie and Karen Cockburn all of whomwonat least three medals in three straight Games.

Heymans previously won a silver with Anne Montminy at the 2000 Sydney Games, while following that effort with a bronze-medal performance alongside Blythe Hartley four years later in Athens.

With Heymans and Marleau at the top of their game throughout this diving season, another Olympic medal seemed well within reach for the 26-year-old veteran.

"Marie-Eve and I trained really well and have competed hard over the last two years," Heymans told CBCSports.ca. "We were very pleased with our season as we headed into the trials."

Unexpected setback

Yet an unexpected setback derailed the Olympic aspirations of Heymans and Marleau in the synchro competition. After both qualified for Beijing in the women's individual platform the day before, the pair were upended by a team they've never lost to.

Upstarts Meaghan Benfeito of Montreal and Laval's Roseline Filion dazzled the judges in the preliminaries with an inspiring performance, building a comfortable 16-point advantage in the process. By the time the final concluded, the young team had booked its ticket to Beijing.

The loss stunned Heymans.

"It was a really big shock," she says. "I was disappointed because I think we've proven over the last year and a half that we were the best team in Canada. But we missed one dive in the preliminaries and that's what killed us.

"They were really fighting for the Olympic spot and we had already qualified. They've never beaten us before and had nothing to lose, and we had everything to lose so I think that made the biggest difference."

On paper it would seem Heymans and Marleau deserved a better fate.

In spite of a stellar season that included the overall world series diving title in early June, Heymans and Marleau found themselves with the same amount of international points as their younger opponents, even though the veteran duo registered points in more events.

Diving Canada guidelines

But under Diving Canada's guidelines for Olympic qualification, the association counts only points from a diver's two best international events and combines them with the performances from the Canadian trials.

Since both teams were tied, Diving Canada had no choice but to nominate Benfeito and Filion for the synchro team when they emerged victorious at the Olympic trials. To her credit, Heymans isn't dwelling on the rules and thinks her younger rivals earned their Olympic spots.

"I think it's a fairly good process because it doesn't place a lot of importance in just one area," admits Heymans. "Unfortunately for us, we both came in at the trials with the same amount of points and they were the better team on that day."

As a result, Heymans is forced to take a more difficult journey en route to joining an elite group of Canadians.

The former gymnast will have to compete in an event that has seen her come up empty in the last two Olympics. Heymans placed fifth at the 2000 Sydney Games, but the Olympic rookie's best years remained in front of her.

However, Athens proved to be even more heartbreaking for Heymans, who missed the podium by seven points. Calling it her most "disappointing performance," Heymans finished fourth after faltering on her best dive - the back 2 with a 1 twist pike.

"I have rarely experienced as difficult a moment in competition," says Heymans. "I don't think it was the fact that I wasn't on the podium, but it was more of the fact that I missed my last dive. It was one of my most consistent dives and I was just frustrated and angry about missing it."

The good news for Heymans is that her individual platform season has been equally as impressive as her synchro year. She ranks third in the world and has proven to be a formidable opponent against the best divers the sport has to offer.

Beats world champion

During the Canada Cup event in Montreal this past May, Heymans finished second behind Australia's Melissa Wu. More importantly, she beat out defending world champion Wang Xin of China for the silver medal.

It was this event, in addition to some other impressive competitions, that has Montminy believing Heymans' past failures won't affect her in Beijing. Montminy, who is CBC Sports' diving analyst, has seen a different Heymans this season, one that is more focused and determined.

"She looks amazing," says Montminy. "She's in great physical condition and is a lot more consistent. Her training is going very well. She's really choked under pressure in the past, but hasn't done that yet this year. I think she's definitely a medal contender."

With the Olympics less than a month away, Heymans insists her primary goal is to concentrate on her preparation for Beijing.

"Of course it would be special to win a medal, but the focus is still on doing the diving. The training is the most important part at this point because at the Olympics, you have to execute five really good dives in the final and that's what I need to do."

The Quebec native will have plenty of time to get ready for that moment, now that she won't be competing in her signature event.