FUKUOKA, Japan — Energized by an 11-hour sleep, Montreal diver Pamela Ware could feel she had something special in store on Friday.
"I woke up this morning and I honestly felt so good,” she told The Canadian Press. “I got to the pool and the first jump I did on the board I was like, 'yeah, today's gonna be a good day,' — and it was."
Ware produced five straight solid dives en route to winning a bronze medal in the three-metre springboard at the FINA World Aquatics Championships.
The 30-year-old finished with 332.00 points after five dives, a little more than nine points behind silver medallist Chang Yani (341.50) of China.
Chen Yiwen, also from China, won gold with a cumulative score of 359.50 points.
It was Ware's fourth career podium finish at the FINA world championships and her first since winning silver in the same discipline in 2015.
At this year's competition, Ware posted a fourth-place finish in the one-metre springboard, missing the podium by less than a point. She also had a fifth-place showing in the three-metre synchronized springboard, missing the top three by 1.77 points with her partner Mia Vallée.
But Ware didn’t come into the competition worried about bringing home medals.
"I didn't want to put any pressure on myself for this event. I just wanted to come out here, have fun, enjoy myself and dive well, and that's what I did,” she said. “If I wouldn't have gotten the medal or I got the medal, I just wanted to be super proud of myself.”
The 2020 Olympian has been on a run of good form in recent months. In May, she won three medals, including a silver in the individual three-metre, at a World Cup event in Montreal.
At the Tokyo Games, she missed a dive in the three-metre event, eventually leading to her taking a step back to re-evaluate the way she went about training.
Ware says her renewed enjoyment of diving is the reason for her success this year.
"I'm just enjoying the process again. I'm having fun with everything,” she said. “I'm doing everything that I need to do to achieve my goals and I think that's just the key is just really enjoying myself again and getting through everything with a smile and having fun."
Ware gives credit to her new coach Hui Tong for helping her have fun again.
“He’s only been my coach for a year and a half, but we have an excellent relationship,” she said in a press release. “Before I dive in a competition, he smiles at me on the springboard, which gives me a boost.
“Thanks to him, I’ve fallen in love with my sport again, and I’m very, very happy that he’s my coach.”
Ware's performance in the three-metre springboard ensures Canada will have a representative in the discipline at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
It was Canada's second medal in Fukuoka. Calgary's Caeli McKay also won bronze in the 10-metre platform event on Wednesday.
On Saturday, Nathan Zsombor-Murray of Pointe-Claire, Que., competes in the men’s 10-metre platform final after placing ninth in the semifinal on Friday.
Then the Canadian divers will fly to Berlin, Germany, for the World Cup Super Final from Aug. 4-6.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2023.
The Canadian Press