Olympic Update:
With a silver on platform, Emilie earned her first individual Olympic medal, and became the all-time leading Olympic medal winner in diving for Canada.
Beating the Chinese:
While the Chinese will be favored on platform, Emilie Heymans has proven that she can defeat the best. At the 2008 Canada Cup, she grabbed the silver finishing second to Australia’s Melissa Wu, but more importantly, she finished ahead of 2007 World Champion Wang Xin of China.
Olympic Trials Disappointment:
Emilie and her teammate Marie-Ève Marleau were a definitely a medal threat in synchro. The two had gold medals in the discipline from the 2003 and 2007 Pan American Games, and a recent silver at the 2008 FINA World Cup. Problem is, they got beat at the Canadian Olympic Trials. So what does that mean for Emilie, she will have to earn her third Olympic medal in the individual platform competition against some very tough competition.
Canadian Records & Awards:
With a medal in Beijing, Emilie will equal a Canadian record by kayaker Caroline Brunet of three medals in three Olympics. She also holds the women’s Canadian platform record with a score of 440.25 set in 2003. Emily has twice been named Female Diver of the Year by Diving Canada (2002, 2003), and was named the Aquatic Federation of Canada's Female Athlete of the Year in 2003 and 2004.
Born in Belgium:
Emilie was born in Brussels, Belgium in 1981, but moved to Montreal the following year and has lived there ever since. After a six-year career in gymnastics, she switched to diving at age 11 and won a junior world championship in 1997 at the age of 16.
Emilie's Stats:
- Height: 5 ft. 7 in.
- Age: 26
- Birth Date: December 14, 1981
- Hometown: St. Lambert, Quebec, Canada
- World Championship Medals (1): 2003 Platform Gold
- Olympic Medals (3):2000 Synchronized Platform Silver; 2004 Synchronized Platform Bronze; 2008 Platform Silver