PARIS, FRANCE -- A surprise bronze medal in women's trampoline Friday extended Canada's podium streak to seven days at the Paris Olympics.
Competing on the eve of her 26th birthday, Sophiane Méthot of Varennes, Que., flipped and twisted her way to the podium with a score of 55.650 in the single-exercise final.
Méthot, ranked 11th in the world, said she put together the "performance of a lifetime" in her Olympic debut. There were nervous moments as she had to sit through one final performer before her medal was confirmed, but China's Hu Yicheng fell during her final to ensure the Canadian was safe in third place.
"It was really intense," said Méthot, who earned the sixth and final spot in the final at the qualifying session. "I did everything I could out there, and I'm just really proud of myself for doing a great routine."
Méthot may not have been a medal favourite entering Paris, but she helped Canada re-establish itself as a leading country in trampoline. Canada had a trampoline medallist every OIympics since the sport debuted in 2000, until Rosie MacLennan finished fourth three years ago in Tokyo in her bid for a third straight gold medal.
Britain's Bryony Page (56.480), the Tokyo bronze medallist, won gold on Friday. Silver went to Belarusian gymnast Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya (56.060), who is competing as a neutral athlete.
Méthot gave Canada nine medals (three gold, two silver, four bronze) at the games, with the potential for more on Friday.
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime and Gabriela Dabrowski were scheduled to face Demi Schuurs and Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands in the tennis mixed-doubles bronze-medal match. And Canadian swimmers were competing in three finals, including Kylie Masse of LaSalle, Ont., in the 200-metre backstroke.
Auger-Aliassime will also compete for bronze in men's singles on Saturday after being decisively defeated 6-1, 6-1 by Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in Friday's semifinals.
Also Friday, Canada's track and field team got off to a strong start. Audrey Leduc of Gatineau, Que., set a Canadian record of 10.95 seconds to lead her heat in the women's 100 metres.
World champion Ethan Katzberg of Nanaimo, B.C., qualified first in the men's hammer throw at 79.93 metres, ahead of Rowan Hamilton of Chilliwack, B.C., who was second with a personal-best throw of 77.78 metres.
Also Friday, defending Olympic champion Damian Warner competed in the first five events of the decathlon, while Mo Ahmed of St. Catharines, Ont., ran in the men's 10,000-metre final.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2024.
