Canada's Despatie claims eighth diving gold
Canada's Alexandre Despatie on Monday won the 3m springboard diving title in Delhi, his eighth Commonwealth Games gold medal since his first appearance in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.
Despatie, still only 25, from Montreal, added to his 1m springboard title won on Sunday, which made him the first Canadian to win seven Commonwealth golds.
Reuben Ross, also from Canada, came second in the 3m springboard, with Grant Nel of Australia in third.
"Now I can prepare for the London Olympics in 2012," Despatie, who won silver in the event at the Beijing Olympics, said.
"I'm already one of the older divers but that gives me a lot of experience.
"I was once the young guy pushing the older guys, so I know how things are. The experience that I have can make a real difference on pressure occasions like these Games."
Despatie, who says he plans a career in acting or film production after his diving career is over, was just 13 when he won gold in Kuala Lumpur.
"Some of the world's best divers are here in Delhi, and I know I can be extremely competitive in the next Olympics," he said. "There's no optimum age for diving and I feel the timing is working in my favour."
Winning his seventh gold on Sunday took Despatie past Canadian Commonwealth gold records set by rhythmic gymnast Alexandra Orlando, who won six golds all at the Melbourne Games in 2006, and swimmer Graham Smith.
Despatie was far ahead of his rivals on Monday, with total of 513.75 points, with Ross on 457.15 and Nel on 456.55.
Pandelela Pamg of Malaysia won the other diving gold of the day in the women's 10m platform competition, with Australians Melissa Wu and Alexandra Croak in second and third place.
Croak, who won a gymnastics team gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester before switching sports, and Wu were attempting to add to the 10m synchro gold that they won on Sunday.
"I knew the final dive was crucial and I was very nervous," said Pamg, 17. "I just tried to concentrate on the dive and nothing else. When I had done it, I knew at once it was good enough to win gold."
Pamg won with a final score of 371.05 after five dives with Wu close behind on 369.50 and Croak on 355.40. The Malaysian had taken the silver in the 10m synchro on Sunday.
"I made it tough for myself," said Croak after making a mistake in her second dive. "But I'm stoked to sneak away with a medal.
"I often leave it to the last dive, which means it's very tough mentally. Today I made my coach nervous as well, so I was a bit lucky."
Despatie returns to the diving pool on Tuesday in search of a ninth gold in the 3-metre synchro competition, in which he will team up with Ross.
The penultimate day of the diving in Delhi also includes finals in the women's 1m springboard, and the men's 10m synchro platform and 3m synchro springboard.
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