Canada wins rhythmic gymnastics gold in team event at Commonwealth Games

Canada's Carmel Kallemaa, centre, celebrates on the podium with her teammates Tatiana Cocsanova, right, and Suzanna Shahbazian after they won gold in Rhythmic Gymnastics, Team Final and Individual Qualification - Sub Division 2 during the Commonwealth Games at Arena Birmingham, Birmingham, England, Aug. 4, 2022. (Jacob King/PA via AP)

BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom — Canada opened rhythmic gymnastics competition at the Commonwealth Games on Thursday with a gold medal in the team event.

Tatiana Cocsanova, Carmel Kallemaa and Suzanna Shahbazian combined for a score of 272.95 points to finish ahead of Australia (268.65) and England (267.05).

"The feeling I think (will be) hard to describe for the next few days until I get home and it actually kicks in that I'm a Commonwealth champion," Kallemaa said. "So I think the feeling is going to come a bit later. Right now it's all just so unbelievable."

Canada remained third in the medal standings heading into the final three days of competition with 59 (17 gold, 20 silver, 22 bronze). Australia leads with 132 followed by England with 118.

Caeli McKay won Canada's other medal of the day when she captured bronze in the women's 10-metre platform diving at the Commonwealth Games on Thursday, salvaging a medal with her favourite dive.

"I'm very happy. It was definitely a bit of a shaky event, not the best one I've ever put down, but I'm happy to come home with a medal," she said.

The 23-year-old from Calgary struggled on her second dive, but recovered with her third -- and inward 3 1/2 somersault in the tuck position.

"That's one that I can count on when I'm under pressure," she said. "I got a little frustrated after my second dive and kind of told myself I needed to wake up and get into the game. So that's usually my comeback dive."

McKay scored 317.50 total points for bronze.

England finished 1-2, with Andrea Spendolini Sirieix taking the gold with a score of 357.50, and Lois Mae Toulson finishing second (37.30).

McKay will compete in the synchronized platform with Celina Toth on Saturday.

It took just one toss for Camryn Rogers to provide the day's highlight at track and field. The Richmond, B.C., native, who captured silver at the recent world championships, threw a Commonwealth Games record-74.68 metres in the women's hammer throw qualifying round with her one and only throw.

"That's always the goal (in qualifying), one and done," Rogers said.

Canada's men's and women's beach volleyball teams went undefeated to top their groups.

Sam Schacter and Daniel Dearing, both from Toronto, capped the group stage with a 2-1 win over Gambia on Thursday.

Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes, the 2019 world champions, finished group play a day earlier with a 2-0 win over New Zealand.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2023.