Spieth Presents Empowerment Through Athletics: Why Canada’s Ellie Black Is, In A Word, Extraordinary

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Inside Gymnastics, in partnership with Spieth, is pleased to announce the Empowerment Through Athletics (ETA) series! Through ETA, we will spotlight athletes making their mark on and off the competition floor. Our first featured athlete was Team USA’s own Leanne Wong, aka The CEO, who is now a five-time World medalist! We are excited to continue the series with one of the most outstanding athlete ambassadors of all time, four-time Olympian and nine-time World Championship competitor for Canada, Ellie Black!

Why Canada’s Ellie Black Is, In A Word, Extraordinary

By Christy Sandmaier; Interviews from the 2025 World Championships by Nate Salsman

I had the opportunity to meet and spend time with Ellie Black in Atlanta at the 2021 Simone Biles Gold Over America Tour, where she not only took time for an interview just after warmups, but also showed me around backstage. She was as gracious and personable as always, and it was easy to tell just how much she was enjoying the experience.

Still reflecting on her time in Tokyo, Black told me that day, “There were a lot of ups and downs and a lot of things we were working on overcoming, but I was really happy to finish the competition with that performance because it was a long preparation getting there and was really difficult. And after the Olympics, it can be really tough.

“You work so long, and suddenly it’s all over. I was only home for a few weeks before coming on tour. It has been a whirlwind, and taking time to process everything is important.”

It’s a sentiment that’s carried Black throughout her gymnastics journey. 

In recent years, careers in women’s gymnastics have become longer, defying what was even thought possible even ten years ago in the sport. Black is one athlete who continues to be at the forefront of that change.

From London To Paris: A Look Back At Longevity

In Paris, along with Max Whitlock (GBR), Andreas Toba (GER), Igor Radivilov (UKR), and Artur Davtyan (ARM) for the men, Black was the only women’s gymnast competing at her fourth consecutive Games. This week, she’s competing in Jakarta, Indonesia, at the 2025 World Championships, where she qualified for the beam final alongside a star-studded lineup, including Brazil’s Flavia Saraiva, herself now a six-time World Championship competitor and three-time Olympian.

Black, and athletes like 2007 World All-Around bronze medalist Jade Barbosa (BRA), who won her first Olympic medal at 33 years old, and Becky Downie (GBR), who competed in her first Olympic event final and third Olympics in Paris in her 17-year-long Senior Elite career, are vocal about the fact that gymnastics is no longer a sport for just teenagers. 

“It’s not easy. It’s definitely something that you work at, and it can be challenging, but it’s so rewarding,” Black said in Paris. “Also, to be an inspiration for other athletes to show that as you get older in the sport, you can still do it, and you just have to adapt, but there’s no set timeline.” 

Black explained that adapting her training is part of what has allowed her to have such a long career. “I don’t necessarily train as many hours, or do as many reps [as I used to do]. It’s knowing your body, knowing how many reps you need to do… that rest is actually a priority, fueling your body is a priority, doing what’s best for you.”

She also stressed that sponsorships are what have allowed her to make gymnastics a career. “[Growth is] happening [in support and partnerships for female athletes]. I think the more we have conversations about it, people can understand why it’s so important. We need to support the Canadian athletes, especially the female athletes, to stay longer in the sport and be able to make it a career.” 

From competing at just 16 in her first Olympics in London, to placing fifth in the All-Around in Rio, to becoming the 2017 World All-Around silver medalist at her home worlds in Montreal, Black saw huge success early in her career. 

Since then, she’s won two World medals in 2022, helping Team Canada to the podium in the team competition for the first time in history in Liverpool. She has her name in the Code of Points, successfully competing the “Black” on uneven bars. 14 years into her Senior Elite gymnastics career, Black led Team Canada to a fifth place finish in Paris, matching its best-ever Olympic result in the women’s team event.

“We’re really excited,” said Black after the competition in Paris. “You know, it was a really great atmosphere out there, and I think we did a phenomenal job. To come in fifth… our team score was great, it tied our best ever in team finals, like last time. It’s a pretty awesome day.”

On August 28, 2024 following the Games, Black was awarded the Paris 2024 Fair Play Award. The award, a joint initiative by the IOC and CIFP, recognizes athletes who exemplify the spirit of fair play, sportsmanship, and respect for others, and is determined through a collaborative process that engages both athletes and the general public. 

Black’s secret to longevity in the sport really isn’t a secret at all. She loves what she does and has found the right balance to continue training and competing. And succeeding. 

“[Going to four Olympics] wasn’t really what gymnasts did [in the past]. And since London, we’ve seen a lot of girls stay around for multiple quads. Then maybe you saw gymnasts stay around for two,” she said. “But now to see athletes staying around for three or four or more, it’s pretty amazing to see that development in the sport. 

“Looking back from London, I don’t think I would have imagined myself still being here to have four Olympics, but I’m so grateful that I am. And it’s not easy. It’s definitely something that you work at, and it can be challenging, but it’s so rewarding. I love what I do, and that’s why I still do it. I can still help my team. That’s a really important thing for me. Also, to be an inspiration for other athletes to show that as you get older in the sport, you can still do it, you just have to adapt. There’s no set timeline.”

Balancing her training time, combined with a focus on strength training and mental health, is all part of the equation as well.

“How many hours did I do in 2012 compared to now? Same. I probably trained, what, 20 hours a week all my career, and then I do strength and conditioning and injury prevention on top of that,” she said. “I’ve been doing strength conditioning for over 10 years now. It’s just finding that balance, making sure that we’re strong, and we’re not overtraining. You won’t stay in the sport long if you don’t have a good balance.”

Finding Joy In Jakarta And In The Journey Ahead

In Jakarta, Black chose to focus on bars and beam only, telling the media following podium training, “Something I’ve been thinking about, especially this year, was just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. That was a tough decision for me because I haven’t not done the all-around at Worlds for, I don’t know, ever? A long time. But I think for the long-term goal, for my mental and physical health, just realising that you don’t always have to do everything, that doesn’t define who I am.”

Black also reiterated to Inside Gymnastics after Qualifications that her passion for the sport is still there, and she continues to find joy everywhere she can.

“For me, it’s just the joy of doing gymnastics, and it’s not always easy, and sometimes that joy is lost a little bit. That’s part of my journey: trying to keep that joy alive, not just about results and expectations put on your shoulders. I’m really excited to be here and be present, and really enjoy gymnastics as much as possible. So for me at this Worlds, I just want to be very present and enjoy what gymnastics brings us and the opportunities we get.

“I worked really hard to be here, so I’m really proud of that, and proud to be here with our team. It’s really exciting, because we’ve got a lot of World Championships between Shallon Olsen, and myself, and then it is the first time for Gabby (Gabrielle Black) and Lia (Monica-Fontaine). They have so much energy, excitement, and joy. Seeing it through the eyes of someone who’s experiencing World Championships for the first time reminds me of how lucky I am, and it makes me grateful to be here, because so many people want that opportunity.”

Approaching the beam final on Saturday, and now the quad looking ahead, Black definitely has a certain trip to the States in mind in 2028. 

“For me, it’s a day-to-day process. My long-term goal is LA, and I am working towards it. It’s day-by-day, year-by-year, and that starts with this competition, getting my feet back on the big podium. It’s been over a year since Paris, and just to be in that kind of atmosphere again is really exciting, so we’re going to use that to keep building.”

Ellie Black will compete in the Balance Beam Final on the final day of the competition at the 2025 World Championships. Finals will air in the United States on Saturday, October 25 at 3 am ET and stream LIVE on Peacock. The competition can also be viewed on Eurovision Sport outside of the US. 

Inside Gymnastics magazine is onsite in Jakarta to bring you all of the latest from the floor! Stay tuned to our social media @InsideGym and right here on InsideGym.com for for updates! Video Coverage in Jakarta for Inside Gymnastics provided by Nate Salsman.

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