Ellie Black led the way as Canadian artistic gymnasts added three more medals to their collection Sunday at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
Black clinched the women’s all-around championship with a strong floor routine, her score of 12.75 good for a total of 53.05, just ahead of Australian Breanna Scott (52.90).
Black, 30, who won the event at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, becomes the first athlete to win a Commonwealth Games all-around title twice.
“I think we’re just changing the narrative of women in sport and gymnastics, and hopefully inspiring the coming generations to see that there’s no age cap. You can keep going and you can still get better and enjoy what you do,” said the four-time Olympian from Halifax.
Meanwhile, her teammate Lia-Monica Fontaine took bronze with a score of 52.80.
“It’s definitely a big opportunity and I really took it. I’m really happy with what I did honestly,” said Fontaine, 16, who hails from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que.
On the men’s side, Felix Dolci was targeting all-around gold but settled for an impressive silver after a gutsy comeback.
Dolci fell off his second apparatus – the pommelhorse – not once but twice, taking a score of 9.50 and digging himself a seemingly insurmountable hole.
Being so far back early due to an “atrocious and terrible” pommelhorse was “one heck of a mountain to climb,” Dolci said. The 24-year-old from Laval, Que., however, did just that, crushing four straight routines to charge back into second overall.
“Qualifying first and knowing my potential, knowing what I can do and knowing the work also I’ve put in practising and prepping to come here, I was going for the gold medal. But, you know, that’s sport for you, that’s gymnastics. It’s never perfect, we either win or we learn. Today was a big learning experience,” Dolci said.
As the final competitor on his final apparatus – the horizontal bar – Dolci needed a strong performance to earn a medal, and was still holding out hope of a win over Reuben Ward of Scotland.
“I wanted to win and that’s the fire that was driving me into that routine. Maybe some people don’t believe in miracles, but at that point I was kind of believing in a miracle to be honest with you,” he said. “One of my biggest virtues or values in the sport is that I never give up. I feel like I’m someone who’s very determined to achieve what he wants and his goals, so that’s always something I’m trying to display when I compete.”
The crowd at the Glasgow International Arena held its breath until his score of 14.50 was posted, leaving him with a total of 79.45. That vaulted him on to the podium in second but just 0.2 short of Ward, to the delight of the Scottish fans.
Teammate and fellow Paris 2024 Olympian William Emard finished eighth with a total score of 77.25.
Canadian gymnasts now have five medals after taking team gold in the men’s event Friday and silver on the women’s side Saturday.
Dolci is back in action Monday, starting with the floor final, alongside Rene Cournoyer, a two-time Olympian from Repentigny, Que. Dolci and Emard are also in the rings final, while Jordan Carroll of Saskatoon will take on the pommelhorse. On the women’s side Fontaine is in the vault final, and Black the uneven bars. The five-day competition wraps up with more apparatus finals Tuesday.
Photo Credit: Antoine Saito for Gymnastics Canada