IT WAS IN 1976 THAT THE FIRST UNIVERSITY ATHLETES REPRESENTED THE RED AND GOLD IN DIVING. FROM 1976 TO 1982, SEVERAL ATHLETES WERE DEVELOPED IN THE REGION UNDER THE BANNER OF THE QUEBEC REGION DIVING CLUB (CPRQ).

ROUGE ET OR PLONGEON EVEN REPRESENTS QUEBEC AND CANADA DURING SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS.

Hélène Morneau, international level official, president of the club’s Board of Directors from 2000 to 2010 and president of the organizing committee of several Canadian championships at PEPS, is the first diver of the Rouge et Or diving club. Dany Boulanger, head coach current member becomes a member in the second year of the club’s existence. Between 1976 and 1982, Sylvie Bernier took her first steps on the international scene, with the CPRQ. She also became a Commonwealth Games medalist under the colors of the CPRQ.

Michel Larouche (former coach of Alexandre Despatie and Émilie Heymans, now head coach in Australia), Hélène Morneau, Nathalie Therrien and Élizabeth Mackay were also all selected for the Canadian team during this same period. Then, in order to prevent the clubs in the region from fighting against each other and at the instigation of the manager of the Rouge et Or at the time, Bob Descheneaux, all the clubs in the region merged. This is the birth of Rouge et Or diving, as we know it today.

From this moment, Rouge et Or diving became a semi-independent corporation of the University and the only club responsible for developing diving in the region. The club was then incorporated and became the Albatross of Laval University. This name will remain until 1992. It is at this time that the Rouge et Or diving takes back its name. Dany Boulanger has been the head coach of the Rouge et Or diving club since the merger in 1982.

Since this merger, the Rouge et Or have won two Canadian men’s university championship titles (in 1986-1987 and 1987-1988) as well as an Ontario provincial title for women and one for men. Subsequently, university diving disappeared from Canadian interuniversity sport (CIS) in Quebec. University diving continued for four years thereafter, but only in Ontario. Today, diving is no longer part of the Canadian university circuit.

The Rouge et Or organized two FINA Grand Prix at PEPS in 1988 and 1995. During the 1988 Grand Prix, a best women’s performance of all time was established during the 3m springboard final. It was the 16-year-old Chinese girl, Gao Min, double gold medalist at the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games who achieved the feat. That of 1995 allowed the club to get its hands on the title of international event of the year in the Quebec region of that same year.

Since the merger in 1982, the Rouge et Or diving club has organized a dozen senior and junior Canadian championships and two Canadian university championships. Our elite athletes have represented Canada at a multitude of international competitions: FINA Grand Prix, FINA Cup, World University Championships, Commonwealth Games and World Junior Championships. Here are some of the club’s most prestigious results:

Robert Baribault: 4th at the FINA Swedish Grand Prix in 1990. Now project manager at Exfo, holder of a doctorate in astrophysics.

Bruno Fournier: 4th at the FINA Canadian Grand Prix in 1990, bronze medalist at the Commonwealth Games in 1990, Canadian senior champion in the 10m in 1990 and Olympian in Barcelona in 1992. Medical imaging representative for an American multinational.

Claude Villeneuve: University Worlds in 1993 and Commonwealth Games bronze medalist in 1994. Pharmacist, owner of 2 pharmacies in the South Shore region of Montreal.

Evelyne Boisvert: 7th in the junior worlds in 1987 and Olympian in 1992. Aeronautical engineer at Pratt & Whitney.

Nadia Pelletier: silver medalist in 1999 and bronze in 2000 at the world juniors, holder of 5 Canadian junior records, six-time medalist at the Pan American junior championships in 1998, athlete of the year in 1999, national category for the Quebec region. Holder of a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science, actuary at Desjardins.

Jo-Annie Dubois: Canadian senior champion on the 1m springboard and 4th in the junior worlds on the synchronized 3m springboard in 2010.

Maxime Morneau-Ricard: Canadian junior and senior champion in 2005, 7th at the world juniors in Malaysia in 2005. Double medalist from the 2010 Canada Games (IPE) currently studying at the Bar.

Olivier Morneau-Ricard: participant of the 2008 World Juniors in Germany and bronze medalist of the 2010 Charlestown Canada Games (IPE).

We finished in 3rd position among clubs twice during the Canadian Junior Championships and twice also for the Canadian Senior Championships.

We currently have five athletes on the Quebec teams and one of the most promising young people in the country, Cédric Fofana, winner of the three events of the last Canadian junior championship for 11 and under and holder of two new Canadian records in this same category. . Since 2010, the Rouge et Or diving club has been identified by Diving Canada as one of seven world-class clubs in Canada.