 Black in 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Elsabeth Ann Black | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | (1995-09-08)September 8, 1995 (age 30) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 157 cm (5 ft 2 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gymnastics career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Women's artistic gymnastics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country represented |  Canada(2010–present) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Halifax Alta Gymnastics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach(es) | Keiji Yamanaka,David Kikuchi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eponymous skills | Black (G): Piked clear-hip Tkatchev with ½ turn (Uneven bars) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Elsabeth Ann BlackONS (born September 8, 1995)[2] is aCanadianartistic gymnast. She is a four-time Olympian, having represented her country at the2012,2016,2020, and2024 Olympic games. She is the2017 Worldall-around silver medallist, making her the first Canadian gymnast to win a world all-around medal, and she led the Canadian women's gymnastics team to a bronze medal in the2022 World Championships team final, the first world team medal won by a Canadian gymnastics team. She won a silver medal on thebalance beam at the 2022 World Championships. She is also the2018 Commonwealth Games all-around champion, a two-timePan American Games all-around champion (2015,2019), and a six-timeCanadian national all-around champion (2013-2015, 2017–2019). At the 2020 Olympic Games, Black placed fourth in thebalance beam final, the highest placement in the Olympics for a femaleCanadian gymnast.
Black began competing internationally in 2012 and helped the2012 Canadian Olympic team qualify for their firstOlympic team final where they finished fifth. In 2013, she became the first Canadian female artistic gymnast to win a medal at theUniversiade since 1983 by winning a silver medal on thefloor exercise and a bronze medal on thebalance beam. She competed at her firstCommonwealth Games in2014 and won the gold medal on thebalance beam. She won five medals at the2015 Pan American Games and was the most decoratedCanadian athlete at the Games. At the2016 Olympic Games, Black finished fifth in theindividual all-around final, Canada's best-ever result in the Olympic all-around. She won her first World medal in2017 and won team and all-around gold at the2018 Commonwealth Games. In 2019, she became the first female gymnast to win back-to-back all-around titles at thePan American Games and became Canada's most decorated gymnast ever at thePan American Games. She made her third Olympic appearance in 2020 and won two medals at the 2022 World Championships. Black is the most decorated Canadian to ever compete in women's gymnastics.[3]
Black was born on September 8, 1995,[1] inHalifax, Nova Scotia to parents Thomas and Katharine Black.[4] Her older sister, Karen, competed in figure skating, and her younger brother William also competed in gymnastics.[5][4][6] She began competitive gymnastics when she was nine years old, after watching the 2004 Summer Olympics.[7][8] Originally, she trained in both gymnastics and figure skating.[6]
In December 2008, Black competed at the junior level at Elite Canada, an annual event for elite-level Canadian gymnasts, and placed sixteenth in the all-around and won the bronze medal on vault.[9] Then at 2009 Elite Canada inOakville, Ontario, she placed tenth in the all-around competition and third on vault.[10][11] At the 2010Canadian Championships inKamloops, British Columbia, she placed fourteenth in the all-around final.[12] In event finals, she placed third on vault and won the balance beam title.[13] Then in December 2010, she competed at Elite Canada inGatineau, Quebec. She placed fourteenth in the all-around, and she won the silver medal on vault.[14][15]
Black becameage-eligible for senior international competition in 2011, but she missed the entire 2011 season after having surgery for a dislocated and broken toe and then dislocating her elbow.[6]
In February, Black made her senior debut at Elite Canada in Mississauga, Canada, and placed ninth in the all-around.[16] In event finals, Black won the gold medal on vault and the bronze medal on balance beam.[17] Then in March, she made her international debut at theInternational Gymnix held inMontreal and finished second in the all-around. Then in the event finals, she won the gold medal on vault and the silver medal on balance beam.[18] She then competed at theOsijek World Challenge Cup and won her firstFIG World Cup medals with gold on both the vault and floor exercise.[19] Black's successful results at these international competitions suddenly made her a strong contender for the 2012 Olympic team.[18] In May, Black competed at theCanadian Championships in Regina, Canada. She placed third all-around in qualifications but dropped to seventh in the all-around final.[20][18] In event finals, she placed first on vault and third on floor.[21]
At the end of June, Black was one of the twelve gymnasts chosen to compete at the Final Olympic Selection meet in Gatineau, Canada.[22] On the first day of competition she placed sixth in the all-around and second on vault.[23] Based on her performances here and at the Canadian Championships, she was selected to the five-member Olympic team alongsideKristina Vaculik,Victoria Moors,Brittany Rogers, andDominique Pegg.[24] She was the first female gymnast living east of Montreal to ever make the Canadian Olympic team.[5] In July, Black made her Olympic debut at the2012 Summer Olympics inLondon, United Kingdom. She helped the Canadian team qualify for the team finals for the first time since1984, and individually, she qualified for the vault final.[25] In the team final, the Canadian team finished fifth, the country's best ever result in an Olympic team final.[26] In the vault final, Black injured her left ankle on her first vault after landing on all fours, receiving a score of 0.000. She tried to attempt her second vault, but decided not to because of the injury, meaning she placed eighth with a final score of 0.000.[27] She did not compete for the rest of the year due to the injury, and once she recovered, she focused on learning new skills and aimed to improve her competition results for the upcoming season.[28]
At her first all-aroundFIG World Cup event in Tokyo, Black won the bronze medal.[29] She won gold medals in the vault, balance beam, and floor exercise event finals at the Ljubljana World Challenge Cup and was the most decorated gymnast of the event.[30] In May, Black won her first national all-around title at the Canadian Championships and also won balance beam gold, floor exercise silver, and vault bronze.[31] At theSummer Universiade, Black finished fourth in the all-around with a score of 55.000, only two-tenths of a point away from the bronze medal.[32] In the event finals, she finished fourth on vault by 0.088, third on beam, and tied for second on floor.[33] This marked the first time a Canadian gymnast had won a medal at theUniversiade since 1983.[34] She then competed at her firstWorld Championships and finished thirteenth in the all-around and eighth on the floor exercise.[35][36]
Black won the all-around and floor exercise gold medals at theInternational Gymnix and the uneven bars and balance beam bronze medals.[37] She then competed at thePacific Rim Championships with Yu,Maegan Chant,Rose-Kaying Woo,Shallon Olsen, andMegan Roberts, and they won the team silver medal behind the United States. Individually, Black won the all-around bronze medal and the vault gold medal.[38][39] She defended her Canadian all-around title and also became national champion on the uneven bars.[40]
At theCommonwealth Games, Black finished fourth with herteam and was upset for the bronze medal by Wales, and she fourth in theall-around due to a fall on the floor exercise.[41][42] In the event finals, Black won gold on thebalance beam, silver on thevault, and bronze on thefloor exercise.[43][44] She competed at theWorld Championships inNanning,China. The Canadian team finished twelfth and failed to advance to the team final, but Black qualified for the all-around and balance beam finals.[45] In the all-around final, she placed ninth, the highest ever placement in a World or Olympic all-around final by a Canadian, besting compatriotVictoria Moors' tenth-place finish from the year before.[46] In the balance beam final, she placed seventh after a fall.[47] After the World Championships, she competed at theStuttgart World Cup and finished seventh in the all-around and won the silver medal in the all-around at the Glasgow World Cup.[48][49]
In January, Black competed at the Elite Canada competition and won the balance beam title.[50] She then competed at theAmerican Cup inArlington, Texas and placed fifth with an all-around.[51] Then at theCity of Jesolo Trophy and helped the Canadian team win the bronze medal behind the United States and Italy. Individually, Black won the bronze medal on the vault.[52] In May, Black won her third consecutive Canadian all-around title.[53] Black competed at her firstPan American Games which was hosted inToronto. The Canadianteam of Black,Maegan Chant,Madison Copiak,Isabela Onyshko, andVictoria-Kayen Woo won a silver medal behind the United States.[54] In theall-around final, Black won the gold medal with a score of 58.150, becoming the first non-American woman to become Pan American all-around champion since 1983 and the first Canadian to win the title since 1979.[55] She then won the bronze medal in thevault final. In thebalance beam final, she won gold by over a full point, and she also won the gold medal in thefloor exercise final.[56] She was the most decorated Canadian athlete of the 2015 Pan American Games.[1]
In September, Black was selected to compete at theWorld Championships. The Canadian team had a strong performance in the qualifying round and qualified for the team final in seventh place, ensuring a full team berth at the 2016 Olympic Games.[57] Black also qualified to the all-around final in fourth place and in third place to the balance beam final. In the team finals, she contributed scores of 14.233 on the floor, 15.100 on the vault, and 13.566 on the beam to help the Canadian team finish sixth, their best-ever team finish at a World Championships.[58] In the all-around final, she set a new record for the highest placement by a Canadian by finishing in seventh place.[59] In the beam final, she fell on her full twist and finished in seventh place for the second year in a row.[60]
At Elite Canada, Black won the all-around bronze medal.[61] She then competed at theAmerican Cup inNewark, New Jersey and won the all-around bronze medal.[62] Then at the Canadian Championships, she won the all-around silver medal.[63] Black was chosen to represent Canada at her secondOlympic Games inRio de Janeiro alongsideIsabela Onyshko,Shallon Olsen,Brittany Rogers, andRose-Kaying Woo.[64] The team did not reach the top eight for the team final because they finished in ninth place by only 0.168 points behind the Dutch team. In the all-around final, Black finished in fifth place with a score of 58.298, the highest place finish for a Canadian gymnast in the all-around at the Olympic Games.[65]
Black's first competition after the 2016 Olympic Games was theKoper World Challenge Cup, where she won silver medals on uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise.[66] In May, she won her fourth national all-around title.[67] At theSummer Universiade, she led the Canadian team to the silver medal behind Russia.[68] Individually, she won bronze in the all-around final.[69] In the event finals, she won gold on the beam and bronze on the bars.[70] At theWorld Championships inMontreal, Black qualified for the all-around final in third place, the vault final in seventh, and the balance beam final in fourth.[71] She was originally a reserve for the floor exercise final but was put in as a replacement for the injured AmericanRagan Smith.[72] In the all-around final, Black became the first Canadian to win an all-around medal at theWorld Championships, winning the silver medal behind AmericanMorgan Hurd.[73] During event finals, she placed fourth on vault, eighth on balance beam after a fall, and seventh on floor exercise after an out-of-bounds deduction.[74]
Black competed at her secondCommonwealth Games alongsideShallon Olsen,Isabela Onyshko,Brittany Rogers, andRose-Kaying Woo.[75] She helped Canada win gold for the first time since the1990 Commonwealth Games ahead of second place England in theteam finals.[76] Individually, Black won gold in theall-around.[77] She also won silver onvault.[78] In May, Black competed at the Canadian Championships where she won her fifth national all-around title.[79] Then in September, she competed at theParis Challenge Cup where she won silver on vault, bronze on uneven bars, gold on balance beam, and silver on floor exercise.[80] She was the only female gymnast at the event to medal on all four apparatuses.[81] She was then named to the team to compete at theWorld Championships.[82] She helped Canada place fourth in the team final which was Canada's highest-ever team finish at theWorld Artistic Gymnastics Championships.[83] Individually, Black placed twelfth in the all-around, seventh on vault, and fifth on the balance beam.[84][85]
Black began the 2019 season competing at Elite Canada where she placed second in the all-around. She also won gold on vault, silver on uneven bars and balance beam, and bronze on floor exercise.[86] In March, Black competed at theAmerican Cup where she tied for the bronze medal in the all-around withMai Murakami.[87] The following month, she competed at theTokyo World Cup where she won silver in the all-around.[88] In May, she competed at the Canadian Championships and claimed her sixth national all-around title. Additionally, she won gold on floor exercise, silver on uneven bars, and bronze on the balance beam.[89] In June, Black was named to the team to compete at thePan American Games alongside Moors,Isabela OnyshkoShallon Olsen, andVictoria-Kayen Woo. The team won the silver medal in theteam final behind the United States.[90] In theall-around final, Black was able to defend herPan American Gamesall-around title and was the first gymnast to ever do so.[91] During the first day of event finals, she won gold onvault and bronze onuneven bars.[92] The following day, she won the silver medal onbalance beam.[93] With a total of ninePan American Games medals including five gold medals, she became the most decorated Canadian gymnast in Pan American Games history.[94] She was selected as Canada's flag-bearer for the closing ceremony.[95]
On September 4, Black was named to the team to compete at theWorld Championships inStuttgart,Germany.[96] During qualifications, the team placed fifth, thereby qualifying Canada a team to the2020 Olympic Games inTokyo. Individually, she qualified for the all-around and balance beam finals.[97] Black competed on all four apparatuses during the team final, helping Canada place seventh.[98] During the individual all-around final, she finished in fourth place with a score of 56.232, only 0.167 points behind third place.[99] While competing in the all-around final, she injured her ankle and had to withdraw from the balance beam final.[100][101]
In February, Black made her season debut at Elite Canada and won the gold medal on the uneven bars.[102] Then at theAmerican Cup, she placed fifth in the all-around.[103] She was scheduled to compete at theTokyo World Cup taking place on April 4.[104] However, the Tokyo World Cup was later canceled due to thecoronavirus outbreak in Japan.[105]
Black competed at Elite Canada which was held virtually due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in Canada. She finished first in the all-around and on the balance beam.[106] She then competed at the Canadian Championships where she won her seventh national all-around title. Additionally, she finished first on the balance beam and second on the vault, uneven bars, and floor exercise.[107] On June 17, she was officially named toCanada's 2020 Olympic team alongsideAva Stewart,Shallon Olsen, andBrooklyn Moors.[108] During theOlympic qualification round, the Canadian team finished tenth, missing out on the team final. Individually, Black qualified for the all-around final in twenty-fourth place and for the balance beam final in sixth place, and she was the third reserve for the vault final.[109] During a training session before theall-around final, she injured her left ankle on a balance beam dismount, causing her to withdraw from the all-around final.[110] She still competed in the balance beam final despite the injury, and she finished in fourth place, 0.134 points away from the bronze medal.[111] After the Olympic Games, Black traveled across the United States on theGold Over America Tour.[112]
Black won the all-around title at the virtual Elite Canada competition.[113] She then competed at theCity of Jesolo Trophy where she helped Canada finish third behind the United States and Italy.[114] Individually, she won bronze on vault.[115] In September, she competed at theParis World Challenge Cup and won bronze on the balance beam.[116] She also competed a brand new skill on the uneven bars, apiked clear-hipTkatchev with ½ turn, and got the skill named after her in theCode of Points.[3] Black was selected to compete at theWorld Championships inLiverpool alongsideLaurie Denommée,Emma Spence,Sydney Turner, andDenelle Pedrick. She helped Canada qualify for the team final in eighth place and individually qualified for the all-around, vault, and balance beam finals.[117] During the team final, Black competed on all four apparatuses and helped Canada win the bronze medal, their first team medal at theWorld Artistic Gymnastics Championships.[118] This bronze medal also earned Canada ateam quota for the 2024 Olympic Games.[119] She then finished fifth in the all-around final with a total score of 54.732.[120] In the vault event final, she finished fourth. Then in the balance beam final, she won the silver medal with a score of 13.566.[121]
In late June Black was named to the team to representCanada at the 2024 Summer Olympics alongsideCassie Lee,Shallon Olsen,Ava Stewart, andAurélie Tran.[122]
At the2024 Olympic Games Black helped Canada qualify to the team final, where they ultimately finished fifth. Individually she qualified to the all-around and vault finals where she finished sixth in both.[123]
In April of 2025, Black competed on vault and uneven bars at theCairo World Cup, winning the gold medal in the vault final.[6]
In early October, Black was named to the Canadian team for the2025 World Gymnastics Championships, along withShallon Olsen,Lia-Monica Fontaine, andGabrielle Black.[124] She competed on uneven bars and balance beam during the qualification round and qualified for the beam final, where she ultimately finished in fifth place.[6]
In 2018, the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame named Black one of the 15 greatest athletes in Nova Scotian history.[125] In October 2018, theLieutenant-Governor ofNova Scotia,Arthur LeBlanc, announced that Black would be awarded theOrder of Nova Scotia at a ceremony to be held on November 6, for her contribution as an ambassador for both gymnastics and the province. Black is only the second person under 25 to receive the Order of Nova Scotia, the first being hockey starSidney Crosby.[126]
After the2024 Summer Olympics Black was awarded theParis 2024 Fair Play Award, a joint award from theInternational Fair Play Committee andInternational Olympic Committee, recognizing her spirit of fair play, sportsmanship, and respect for others.[127]
In 2019, Black became sponsored byToyota Canada as a part of its Team Toyota initiative.[128] She has a collection of gymnastics equipment with Spieth America.[129] She is sponsored by theRoyal Bank of Canada, and in 2020, she supported the Canada United relief fund for small businesses.[130] In 2021, she began working with the sports nutrition brandMuscleTech.[131]
Black has taken kinesiology courses atDalhousie University.[132] She enjoys cooking,[1] and she has shared her recipes online.[3]
At the2022 Paris World Challenge Cup, Black successfully completed apiked clear-hipTkatchev with ½ turn on theuneven bars. Because she was the first gymnast to complete this skill, it is named after her in theCode of Points.[3]
| Apparatus | Name | Description | Difficulty[a] | Added to the Code of Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uneven bars | Black | Clear hip circle on high bar, counter pike over high bar with ½ turn (180°) to hang in mixed L grip | F | 2022 Paris World Challenge Cup[134] |
| Year | Event | Team | AA | VT | UB | BB | FX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Elite Canada | 16 |  | ||||
| 2009 | Elite Canada | 10 | | ||||
| 2010 | Canadian Championships | 14 | |  | |||
| Elite Canada | 14 |  | 4 | 8 |
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