Meaghan Benfeito

Early Diving Career

Benfeito was just 16 years old when she and Filion won a bronze medal in the 10m synchronized diving event at the 2005 FINA World Aquatics Championships in her hometown of Montréal. The same year, she placed first in the 10m individual event at the Canada Games in Regina, Saskatchewan. In 2006, Benfeito and Filion won bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, and at the FINA World Cup in Changshu, China. At the 2006 Summer Senior National Championships, the pair won the 10m synchro, while Benfeito and Jennifer Abel took silver in the 3m synchro.

The following year, Benfeito competed as a member of three synchronized teams, the 3m synchronized dive with Abel and Kelly MacDonald and the 10m synchronized dive with Filion. Highlights from 2007 included silver medals in the 3m synchro event with Abel and the 10m synchro with Filion at the Canada Cup, as well as a bronze medal in the 3m synchro with MacDonald at the Pan American Games. It was also a successful year for Benfeito in individual events, with three gold medals at the Speedo Winter Junior Championships and gold and bronze medals at the Pan Am Junior Championships.

First Olympic Appearance in 2008

In 2008, Benfeito and Filion competed in their first Olympic Games in Beijing. Although the pair finished in seventh place, the event gave them experience at the Olympic level, preparing them for future elite competitions.

International Competition, 2009–11

The next year, Benfeito and Filion took part in all four stages of the 2009 FINA Diving World Series. In this event, they brought home two silver medals and one bronze medal in the 10m synchronized event. They also competed in the 2009 FINA Diving Grand Prix circuit, where they won two golds and one silver, adding up to six international synchronized medals in 2009. The same year, Benfeito earned gold and bronze medals in the 10m individual event on the FINA Grand Prix circuit.

Benfeito began the 2010 season with two gold medals at the Winter Senior National Championships (in the 10m individual event and the 3m synchro with Abel). She also competed on the FINA Grand Prix and FINA World Series circuits. Benfeito and Filion won a medal at every event they entered as a team. Benfeito also won solo gold at the Summer Senior National Championships and silver at Spain’s Grand Prix in the 10m. Her 2010 season was cut short by injury, though, and she was forced to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India.

In 2011, Benfeito and Filion won five silver medals at the FINA World Series and Grand Prix events, as well as a gold medal at the Summer Nationals in Edmonton and a silver at the Winter Senior National Championships. Benfeito won an individual gold medal in the 10m at the Summer Senior National Championships and an individual silver medal at the Winter Senior National Championships. This success secured Benfeito and Filion a spot in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Olympic Bronze at the 2012 London Games

Benfeito had another strong year in 2012, winning medals with Filion on the Grand Prix circuit and the FINA World Series and World Cup. At the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London, Benfeito and Filion won bronze in the 10m synchro. In individual competition, Benfeito was in second place going in to the final competition of the women’s 10m platform. However, Benfeito made a costly mistake in the first of her five dives, over-rotating the forward 3½ somersault, and the error pushed her well behind the other competitors and out of medal contention.

Pan Am and Commonwealth Champions

In 2013 and 2015, Filion and Benfeito took home silver in the 10m synchro at the FINA World Aquatics Championships. They also won gold in the 10m synchro at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, and at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Ontario. Benfeito also had success in individual competition, winning five Senior National Championships titles in the individual 10m event between the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, as well as gold medals at the 2013 Canada Cup, 2015 German Grand Prix and FINA World Series competitions in Mexico (2014) and Russia (2015).

Double Bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics

At the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio, Benfeito and Filion won their second consecutive bronze medal in the 10m synchro. Benfeito also competed in the individual 10m platform, winning her second bronze of the Olympic Games (Filion placed sixth).