Worobel and Cranford place in top 10 at World Junior Championships
by Jared Cruz-Aedo
Avery Worobel (The Indiana International School of Diving) and Bayleigh Cranford (Triad Diving Academy) both advanced to the finals in the 16-18 girls’ platform event Saturday at the FINA World Junior Diving Championships in Montreal.
Worobel finished sixth and Cranford placed eighth. Worobel finished with a total of 391.25 points, including 62.10 on her inward 2½ somersaults tuck. Cranford finished with a score of 373.25. Her highest-scoring dive came in the second round with her back 3½ somersaults tuck scoring 67.65. Great Britain’s Andrea Spendolini Sirieix won gold, and Canada’s Renee Batalla took silver. Australia’s Sofia Knight rounded out the medalists with bronze.
Saturday also marked the beginning of the Junior International High Diving Championships held in conjunction with the FINA World Junior Diving Championships. The U.S. had six high divers participate, with Gabby Mauder and Sydney Kowalski each sitting in third place in their events heading into Sunday’s finals.
In the girls’ 12-meter high dive competition, Mauder and Maya Kelly are ranked in the top four after Saturday’s two rounds. Mauder has a score of 109.20, including 57.60 on a front double somersault with a half twist. Kelly is in fourth place with a score of 106.80, with 54 points on her front double somersault with a half twist. Zara Karimi also competed for the U.S. in the 12-meter event and is in the eighth place with 75.60 points, with her reverse flying somersault tuck scoring 38.40. Ukraine’s Nelli Chukanivska is first, and Anna Wylie from Canada is second.
In boys’ 12-meter high diving, USA’s Thomas Matheis stands in ninth place with 80.40 points. His best dive was in the second round on a back flying somersault pike that scored 43.20. Ukraine's Tymofii Tolstykh leads the competition, followed by Canada’s Charles-Antoine Labadie and Spain’s Hugo Rodriguez Gozalbes.
In the girls’ 15-meter high diving event, Kowalski is in third place after two rounds. She has 108.75 points and scored 61.25 on her front double somersault with a half twist. Canada’s Simone Leathead currently leads, and Mexico’s Alejandra Sofi Aguilar Tovar is second.
Ben Mattera represented the United States in the boys’ 15-meter high diving competition and is 10th with 66.25 points after two dives. Italy’s Andrea Barnaba leads, followed by Mexico’s Yolotl Otnie Martinez Cabral and Canada’s Adam Cohen.
Competition at the FINA World Junior Championships ends Sunday with Tyler Wills and Luca Fassi in the 16-18 boys’ platform event. The final two rounds in each of the high diving events are also set for Sunday.