Ellie Black

Elsabeth Ann Black, born on 8 September 1995, is a Canadian artistic gymnast and a four-time Olympian, having represented her country at the 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024 Olympic Games. Recognized as the most decorated Canadian in women's gymnastics history, her accomplishments include winning a silver medal in the individual all-around at the 2017 World Championships, making her the first Canadian gymnast to earn a world all-around medal. She also led Canada to its first world team medal with a bronze in 2022, where she additionally earned a silver medal on the balance beam. Black is a six-time Canadian national all-around champion and a multi-time champion at both the Commonwealth Games and the Pan American Games.

Black was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Thomas and Katharine Black. She grew up alongside an older sister who competed in figure skating and a younger brother who competed in gymnastics. Inspired by the 2004 Summer Olympics, she began competitive gymnastics at age nine while initially training in both gymnastics and figure skating. As a junior, she competed at Elite Canada events from 2008 to 2010 and won the balance beam title at the 2010 Canadian Championships.

Although eligible for senior international competition in 2011, Black missed the season following surgery for a dislocated and broken toe as well as a dislocated elbow. She made her senior international debut in 2012, winning gold on vault and floor exercise at the Osijek World Challenge Cup. Named to the 2012 Canadian Olympic team, she became the first female gymnast living east of Montreal to make the squad. At the London Games, she helped Canada reach its first team final since 1984, where they placed fifth, before an ankle injury in the vault final cut her competition short.

In 2013, Black won her first national all-around title and became the first Canadian female artistic gymnast to win a Universiade medal since 1983. At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, she earned balance beam gold, vault silver, and floor exercise bronze. She achieved major success at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, winning five medals—including golds in the all-around, balance beam, and floor exercise—to become the most decorated Canadian athlete at the Games. Later that year, she finished seventh in the all-around at the World Championships.

At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Black finished fifth in the individual all-around final, setting Canada's best-ever Olympic all-around result. In 2017, she captured her fourth national all-around title and made history at the World Championships in Montreal by claiming the silver medal in the individual all-around.

Black won team gold and defended her individual all-around title at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. In 2019, she secured her sixth national all-around title and became the first female gymnast to win back-to-back Pan American Games all-around titles. Earning five medals at the 2019 Games, she became the most decorated Canadian gymnast in Pan American Games history and was selected as Canada's closing ceremony flag-bearer.