Bryden Hattie claims diving gold in national 3-metre springboard in Toronto

Bryden Hattie of Victoria moved one step closer to qualifying for the World Diving Championships on Friday by winning the gold medal in the 3-metre springboard event at the Canadian championships in Toronto.

Throughout the final round, the Boardswork Diving Club member battled hard against Texas A&M University diver Victor Povzner, who came out of the event with a higher score than Hattie.

However, given that Povzner does not dive for Canada internationally, both divers received gold medals and Hattie (430.85 points) was declared the Canadian champion.

"I woke up this morning knowing what I needed to do to win. I wanted to be consistent in the qualification rounds, and then just enjoy the final. I felt light, which helped a lot," said the new Canadian champion, a few moments after his win.

Thomas Ciprick of Calgary secured the silver medal with 407.55 points, while Cedric Fofana of Montreal earned bronze with 401.80.

"I probably could have had a better score, but I'm still satisfied with my performance. In the final, my first three dives weren't up to my expectations, but I stayed calm and finished strong," said Ciprick.

Hattie is now a step closer to qualifying for the World Diving Championships, which will be held in Fukuoka, Japan, from July 14-22.

"There was definitely a lot of pressure, but I tried to stay focused on my dives. I learned a lot in my last few competitions, and I think that's been good for my confidence," said Hattie.

The members of Canada's delegation to Japan will officially be announced next week.