Music: {allcanada} WINNIPEG'S GREYSON EARNS 10-METRE FINAL DIVING VICTORY

Sunday, February 6, 2011

{allcanada} WINNIPEG'S GREYSON EARNS 10-METRE FINAL DIVING VICTORY

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LONDON, Ont. -- Kevin Geyson of Winnipeg won a dramatic men's 10-metre final while Jennifer Abel of Laval, Que., repeated as the women's three-metre champion Sunday at the Senior Winter Nationals Championships diving competition.

Geyson nailed a back two-and-half somersaults with two-and-half twists in the final round to earn the men's title. He registered a personal-best 500.85 points for his first national crown.

Riley McCormick of Victoria, the defending champion, was second with 489.55 points while Montreal's Nicholas Lachance was third with 395.10.

Geyson is the only Canadian to execute the back twisting dive which has a very high degree of difficulty at 3.6. He missed it in the semifinal earlier Sunday but that didn't bother the 26-year-old.

"It's a new dive for me and I really wanted to show that I could do it," said Geyson. "It's been steady for me in practice so missing it in the semi wasn't an issue.

"Also breaking the 500 points barrier today was huge for me. Just last year, I was trying to get over the 400 point mark."

On women's three-metre springboard, Abel collected 329.20 points to finish first. Three-time Olympic medallist Emilie Heymans of St-Lambert, Que., was second with 332.40 while Montreal's Pamela Ware was third with 328.65.

Abel, 19, also won the three-metre springboard at the 2010 summer nationals. On Friday, she took the three-metre synchro event with Heymans.