Hi!

Yesterday was the opening ceremony of the FINA World Championships in Rome. As you know, I was Canada's flag-bearer. It really was a beautiful ceremony! Opening ceremonies always are special and emotional times. I was really proud to carry the flag for the Canadian team.

The Championships are well under way and I am very happy of Reuben's and my performance yesterday.

We knew that we had the potential and the capacity to be among the best teams and we proved it. After the semi-finals, we were in second position. A lot of teams had difficulties with their dives and we knew that our second position was only a temporary place and that the level of the competition was going to increase in the finals. We had to come back strong. In the finals, we were in fifth place after three dives. Then, we dropped in eighth position after a mistake on the fourth dive. But, we did not give up and we came back strong on our two last dives. It was two dives with high difficulty levels and we performed them really well. Finally, we finished in third place.

I am happy with the result because since I came back from the Olympic Games, I had to skip several competitions because of injuries. But yesterday, I dove really well.

Here are two photos of Reuben and I with our medals and with our trainer Arturo Miranda.

Next step for me: the preliminary session at the 3m competition next Wednesday.

Talk to you soon!

Alex