As the final winter echoes from Pyeongchang fade to history, Island athletes turn their attention to the beat of summer, beginning next month at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia鈥檚 Gold Coast, through to the big prizes at Tokyo 2020.
The last time Celina Toth was on the boards in Gold Coast, she won silver in the fall at the FINA Grand Prix diving meet. The last time she was on the boards at a multi-sport event, Toth won two medals last summer in the 2017 World University Games.
The Victoria Boardworks diver, and University of Victoria psychology major, hopes it is a harbinger and that it all comes together next month on the Gold Coast.
Toth and Boardworks club-mate Bryden Hattie were the latest performers named this week to what will be the Island鈥檚 40-plus athlete contribution to sa国际传媒鈥檚 team for the Commonwealth Games in sports as disparate as rugby sevens to lawn bowling.
Toth will compete in the women鈥檚 10-metre and Hattie in men鈥檚 10-metre synchro diving. That鈥檚 quite a jump to the senior national team level for Grade 11 Claremont Secondary student Hattie, who last year came away with three silver medals from the 2017 sa国际传媒 Summer Games and won silver in the 16- to 18-year-old category at the Pan American Junior Championships held in the fall at his home pool, Saanich Commonwealth Place.
鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting because it鈥檚 the Commonwealth Games and not a聽junior event, and it will be a聽completely different experience against top senior divers,鈥� Hattie said. 鈥淏ut I always take in the moment, wherever that moment is.
鈥淭here hasn鈥檛 been much of a break, and [there has been] a lot of hard work, but it鈥檚 paying off.鈥�
Toth and Hattie will be joined on the Gold Coast by Boardworks coach Tommy McLeod, who will be one of the Canadian team coaches at the Games.
鈥淭hat will add to the experience because Tommy is not just a聽coach, but he is a friend to us,鈥� Hattie said.
In a blow to the Canadian team, sprint star Andre De Grasse has withdrawn from Gold Coast 2018, citing fitness.
The 2016 Rio Olympic triple medallist also missed the 2017 world track and field championships due to a hamstring injury.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games run from April 4 to 15.
