Philippe Gagné dives into the finals in Quebec games

This young man, who competed for the Montreal region in the less than 11-year-old group, just missed a third walk to the podium in the three metre springboard, finishing in fourth position. The following day, he was fifth in the one-metre dive.

"The competitions are more difficult than usual, but it went well,” said Philippe at the end of the event, Monday afternoon. “My dives were not too hard."

At the Repentigny public swimming pool after the performance of her son, Sophie Turpin was a very proud mom. "I am quite happy for him,” she said explaining the position of the eldest of her three children. “The other divers were able to make a double somersault. Philippe did not succeed at it. It resembled more of a double cannon ball.”

Turpin does not want, however, to put pressure on her son. For her, the important thing is that he enjoys what he does and participates in a sport. "He started diving at 5 and a half by imitating others,” she said. “He was forward and backward. We registered him in classes to learn like everyone else."

For Philippe, the results were also secondary. "What I liked about the games are the competition and meeting friends," said the young member of the CAMO diving club.

During the four days of the diving competition, Philippe stayed in a Repentigny school with the other athletes from the Lac-Saint-Louis area. "I did not have time to annoy my parents," he said, obviously charmed with the games.

His mother notes that her son had much enjoyment. She did not speak to him much during the games, since he was too busy with his friends and diving. "I prepared his luggage before leaving,” she said. “I hope that he put in his change of clothes.”

After each one of his competitions, Philippe was however never very far from his mother, so that she could buy him barbecue chips.

(Translated by Michael Beigleman)