Ellie Black is one of Canada’s greatest gymnasts of all time. A three-time Olympian, she has won gold medals in women’s all-around at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the 2015 and 2019 Pan American Games, and seven Canadian National Gymnastics Championships (2013–15, 2017–19, and 2024). She also achieved Canada’s best-ever result in women’s all-around at the Summer Olympics, finishing fifth in 2016. Black is the first Canadian gymnast to win a medal in all-around at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and the first to win back-to-back gold medals at the Pan American Games, with a total of 10 medals. More on itoronto.
Family, Childhood, and Passion for Gymnastics
Ellie Black was born on September 8, 1995, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is one of three children to Catherine and Thomas Black. Her older sister, Karen, is a figure skater, while her younger brother, William, was also a gymnast who won gold in trampoline at the 2016 Canadian National Gymnastics Championships.
Ellie began gymnastics at the age of six. According to the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), she was “a very strong, energetic child who was always bouncing around.” After her first visit to a gym, she fell in love with the sport. Initially, she also competed in figure skating but gave it up at the age of eight to focus solely on gymnastics. By age 12, inspired by Canadian Olympian David Kikuchi’s performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Ellie’s passion for the sport grew even stronger.
Early Steps to Success
In December 2008, Black represented the Halifax Alta Gymnastics Club at the junior level at the Elite Canada Artistic Gymnastics competition, winning a bronze medal in the women’s vault. The following year, she won another bronze medal in the vault at the same event.
Black’s breakthrough came in 2010 at the Canadian National Gymnastics Championships. At just 14 years old, she won gold on the uneven bars and bronze in the vault. At the 2010 Elite Canada event, she competed at the senior level, earning a silver medal on the vault. However, her journey to consistent senior competition faced challenges. She missed much of the 2011 season due to injuries, including a dislocated toe, an elbow issue, and a fractured thumb.
Summer Olympics 2012 and 2016
Ellie Black competed at the 2012 Elite Canada event in Mississauga, Ontario, winning gold in the vault and bronze on the balance beam. These achievements, combined with further gold medals in the vault and floor exercise at international competitions, earned her a spot on the Canadian Olympic team. At the 2012 London Olympics, Canada placed fifth in the women’s team event, the nation’s best result in Olympic gymnastics.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Black delivered her best Olympic performance yet, finishing fourth on the balance beam with an outstanding routine.
Other Competitions
In 2013, Ellie Black represented Canada at the Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia, winning silver in floor exercise and bronze on the balance beam. She became the first Canadian gymnast since 1983 to win a medal at the Universiade. Over the course of the year, Black secured six medals at World Cup events, including three golds, and four medals at the Canadian National Championships in Ottawa.
In 2014, Black earned three medals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland: gold on the balance beam, silver in the vault, and bronze on floor exercise. Later that year, she won silver in the all-around at the Glasgow World Cup.
At the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Black dominated the competition, winning five medals: gold in all-around, beam, and floor exercise, silver in the team event, and bronze on the uneven bars. She became the first non-American gymnast to win gold in all-around at the Pan American Games since 1983. In 2019, at the Pan American Games in Lima, she became the first gymnast to win consecutive all-around golds. She also won gold in the vault, silver in the team event and on the beam, and bronze on the uneven bars.
With a total of 10 medals, Ellie Black is the most decorated Canadian gymnast in Pan American Games history.
World Championship Achievements
In 2017, Black competed at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Montreal, winning gold on the balance beam and silver in the team event at the Summer Universiade earlier that year. On October 6, 2017, she became the first Canadian gymnast to win a medal in the all-around at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
At the 2022 World Championships in Liverpool, Black was part of the first Canadian team to win a medal in the team event, earning bronze. She also won a silver medal on the balance beam. At the 2022 Paris World Cup, Black became the first gymnast to perform a new high-difficulty element on the uneven bars, which was named “The Black” in her honour.
Honours and Sponsorship
In 2018, at the age of 23, Ellie Black was inducted into the Order of Nova Scotia, becoming only the second person to receive this honour under the age of 25, after Sidney Crosby in 2009.
Following the 2024 Paris Olympics, Black received the “Paris 2024 Fair Play Award,” jointly presented by the International Fair Play Committee and the International Olympic Committee, in recognition of her sportsmanship, ethics, and respect for others.
In 2019, Ellie Black became a sponsor for Toyota Canada as part of their “Team Toyota” initiative.
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