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VELMA SPRINGSTEAD AWARD
for Outstanding Female Athlete
Anne Montminy - Diving
Nominated by the Canadian Amateur Diving Association
Anne Montminy had something to prove to herself. Over the course of a decade-long career on Canada's national team, the tower specialist compiled an illustrious record of gold medal performances at junior world championships, and Pan American, Commonwealth, and World University Games. Still, her sense of accomplishment was coloured by the memory of going into the 1996 Olympic Games ranked fourth in the world and enduring elimination in the preliminary round. After a five-month hiatus, she decided that only an Olympic medal would round out her career and she returned to the boards.
Montminy's comeback was impressive, particularly as the Université de Montréal law student was also carrying a heavy academic program. She shone in both endeavours, posting numerous international victories and earning a law degree last spring.
In 2000, a string of top placings, including three medals on the Grand Prix circuit and the silver medal at the FINA World Cup, put the 25-year-old veteran second in the world going into Sydney, and once again in contention for an Olympic medal. This time, the ending was different and far more satisfying. Fighting nerves as usual, she was brilliant in 13 of 14 dives. One mediocre dive in the final was all that made the difference between gold and bronze. While disappointed that she hadn't tightened up on her last dive, she was thrilled to crown her career with an Olympic medal--the first won by a Canadian in her electrifying event. Four days later, competing with teammate Emilie Heymans in the 10m synchronized platform event, Montminy added an Olympic silver medal to her collection and became the first Canadian diver to ever win two Olympic medals.
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