Olivier Morneau-Ricard guides Canada’s high divers to Worlds

Tashi Farmilo

Olivier Morneau-Ricard can still recall the first time he watched a high diver launch from 27 metres, feet slicing the surface of the water below with barely a splash. The physics of it fascinated him, but it was the discipline that held his attention. Now, as Canada’s high-diving team prepares for the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, the Gatineau native is leading the program he helped build from scratch toward one of its biggest stages yet.

He launched the high-diving program in 2020 with Mitch Geller, stepping into a sport that lacked Olympic status, government funding, and a clear roadmap. Building meant finding facilities, structuring athlete preparation, and developing a culture that prioritised safety and trust in a discipline where fear is part of the job.

“This is our Olympics,” Morneau-Ricard said. “And we’re treating it that way.”

This season, preparation began in January, with the program restructuring its approach to integrate physical, mental, and medical readiness. Each athlete followed a tailored plan developed with head coach Stéphane Lapointe, focusing on technical refinement under pressure while building mental resilience. High diving, Morneau-Ricard says, is eighty percent mental, demanding athletes be fully present on the platform and in the air.

Access to a dedicated 20-metre platform in Montreal since March has been a turning point, allowing consistent, high-quality training that reflects the conditions the divers will face in Singapore’s heat and humidity. For Morneau-Ricard, the facility has meant training can align more closely with the demands of competition.

Canada will send Molly Carlson and Simone Leathead to compete in the women’s 20-metre event, while Michaël Foisy will compete in the men’s 27-metre event. Carlson and Leathead are among the best in the world, with medal potential, while a top-12 finish for Foisy would mark a step forward in a highly competitive field.

Beyond results, Morneau-Ricard sees Singapore as an opportunity to showcase the strength of a program that has outperformed expectations despite limited resources. He points to the program’s strong medal-to-dollar ratio and the need for Canadians to see the progress being made in a sport that often goes unnoticed.

“We want people to understand what we’re doing and why it matters,” he said.

Following Singapore, the team will compete at the World Cup in Sardinia, while Carlson and Leathead will continue on the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. Each event is part of the program’s long-term vision, with eyes on potential Olympic inclusion in Brisbane in 2032.

For Morneau-Ricard, the satisfaction lies in seeing the athletes take ownership of their preparation while helping to shape the future of the sport in Canada.

“It’s about building something that lasts,” he said. “And about seeing the athletes trust the work we’ve done together.”

As the team heads to Singapore, Morneau-Ricard is confident that the work speaks for itself.

“We’re ready,” he said. “And this team is making Canada proud.”