Canada’s Pamela Ware Wins Bronze as China Closes in on Sweep

Pamela Ware of Canada reacts after winning the bronze medal in the 3m Springboard Women Final during the 20th World Aquatics Championships at the Marine Messe Hall A in Fukuoka (Japan), July 21st, 2023.

Pamela Ware; Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Editorial content for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships is sponsored by FINIS, a longtime partner of Swimming World and leading innovator of suits, goggles and equipment.

Canada’s Pamela Ware Wins Bronze as China Closes in on Sweep

Canada’s Pamela Ware secured the bronze medal in the women’s 3-meter springboard at the World Championships on Thursday in Fukuoka, Japan, as China closes in on the medals sweep on the penultimate day of competition.

Chen Yiwen and Chang Yani added to their synchro gold with gold and silver in the event. Chen scored 359.50 points, well ahead of her countrywoman in 341.50. Ware rounded out the podium in 332.00, holding off a charge by Australian Maddison Keeney.

It pushes the Chinese program to 11-for-11 in golds with only the mixed 3-meter springboard and men’s; 10-meter platform left.

Chen had to play catch-up early on the way to her fifth career worlds medal. She was fourth after one round and third after two, but she surged to the lead with a time of 79.50 in the third round on her 305B, the highest scoring dive of the meet. She had three dives of 70 or more points; the rest of the field managed a combined two.

“Amazing. After the first result I wasn’t really good and I tried to find my way back,” Chen said. “I was thinking too much about it, I’m scared a little bit about basically everything trying to win too hard, so yeah, I think this is the problem. I always wanted to have over 400 points in World Championships or even in the Olympics, and I never did that before.”

Chang was in podium position the whole way. He fourth-round dive solidified it with 77.50 points on her 107B. That moved her nearly nine points clear of Ware. She improved from third on 3-meter at the Budapest Championships to go with three synchro golds.

Ware sat fourth after two rounds but was calm and consistent. She scored exactly 67.50 points on each of her last three dives to get her fourth worlds medal, the first of which date back a decade for the 30-year-old. She won 3-meter bronze and 3-meter synchro bronze at Barcelona Worlds in 2013 and silver in 3-meter synchro at the 2015 meet in Kazan.

“For me it feels great to get my hands on a medal in this competition,” said Ware, who just missed out on 1-meter bronze. “Despite pacing fourth, I believe I also dove great during the 1-meter event a few days ago. I am so proud of what I was able to accomplish in both events. Getting the medal today shows the sheer amount of work I have put into this sport during the last twenty three years. It just feels so good to see the results.”

Ware said she took time off after failing a dive in the semifinals of the Olympics, and she’s come back stronger from it.

“I was really traumatized by the whole experience,” she said. “It was really difficult for me to come back to diving after that. My comeback year was also a really tough year for me. But I am trying my best to forget all about the past. My mindset is that what happened in the past is ancient history, and that it is gone with the wind. I can finally stand on the board with a renewed level of calmness and confidence. I am so glad to be back.”

Ware augments Caeli McKay’s bronze in 10-meter platform for the Canadians.

Ware held off a charge from Kenney, who nailed her last dive to jump from sixth to fourth. She had been running ninth most of the way. She tallied 78.20 points on her 5154B, the second-best dive of the competition. She finished fourth in 327.95. Chiara Pellacani of Italy was fifth with a score o 308.15, one of eight divers to top 300 points. Hailey Hernandez of the United States finished sixth.

The Chinese divers are in position to medal again in men’s 10-meter. Lian Junjie leads the way with a score of 505.50 after semis. Third is Yang Hao in 484.90. In between is Australian Cassiel Rousseau. Keep an eye out for Noah Williams of Great Britain, who was first before struggling in his sixth round, a 109C that netted just 35.15 points. He’s sixth with a score of 450.65. Neither American made the final, Maxwell Flory bowing out in semifinals in 16th.

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