  Canada's Alexandre Despatie holds up his gold medal for men's 1-metre springboard during diving at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi October 10 , 2010. (REUTERS/Andy Clark) |
DELHI, India - Diver Alexandre Despatie only gets better with age.
The Laval, Que., diver won gold in the Commonwealth Games’ one metre springboard Sunday over Matthew Mitcham of Australia.
Despatie became the youngest Commonwealth champion at the age of 13 in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 and reaffirmed himself at the Dr. S.P. Mukherjee Aquatics Complex. The three-time gold medallist also has Olympic silver from Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.
“I remember it like it was yesterday,” Despatie said. “Hopefully I have a bit more to give. At 25 years of age it's weird being called a veteran.”
Jennifer Abel of Laval and Emilie Heymans of St-Lambert, Que., also won gold Sunday in women’s 3 m synchro springboard.
First Richmond, B.C, wrestler Arjan Bhullar denied Indian Joginder Kumar from wrestling gold in Delhi, then Brampton, Ontario’s Alice Falaiye did the same to the host country’s top long jumper.
India’s Prajusha Maliakkal could not match Falaiye at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Maliakkal’s best jump was 6.47 m, three centimetres shy of Falaiye’s 6.5 m. Pickering, Ont.-raised Tabia Charles took bronze with 6.44 m.
