Canada’s Ellie Black won silver on Friday in the women’s all-around competition at the artistic gymnastics championships in Montreal.
Black finished with a score of 55.132, behind Morgan Hurd of the U.S. (55.232). Elena Eremina of Russia won the bronze (54.799).
Black came agonizingly close to making history as her final score was just .101 points away from first place. The Halifax native would have become the first Canadian to win gold at the world artistic gymnastics championships.
It is nevertheless Canada’s first medal at the competition since 2006, when Kyle Shewfelt (floor) and Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs (balance beam) each won bronze.
Ellie Black of Canada competes in the uneven bars event of the women’s individual all-around final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Montreal on Friday. (Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press)
Brooklyn Moors of Cambridge, Ont., finished 15th with 51.965 points.
Black began the finals with a 14.600 on the vault and a 14.233 on the uneven bars. The 22-year-old scored a 12.866 on the beam, as she lost her balance on a few occasions.
Despite a less than perfect performance on the balance beam, Black entered the final discipline in first place, two tenths of a point ahead of Hurd.
Hurd performed first in the floor exercises, scoring a 13.733.
Black needed a 13.534 or better on the floor to win gold, but she earned a 13.433 instead.
Ellie Black of Canada competes in the balance beam event on her way to winning silver in the women’s individual all-around final of the artistic gymnastics world championships in Montreal on Friday. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)
Black has a chance to win more medals over the weekend as she is also competing in three individual finals: vault, balance beam and floor exercises.
The stage was set for Black to take home a medal in the all-around final.
American Ragan Smith, a favourite to win gold in the all-around, was forced to withdraw from the final after injuring her ankle during the vault warm up on Friday.
Romanian star Larisa Iordache tore her Achilles tendon during the qualifying session on Wednesday. And three-time all-around defending champion Simone Biles is taking a year off from competitive gymnastics.
World Silver All Around for @EllieBlack_ and coach Dave Kikuchi! #mtlgym2017pic.twitter.com/iwL4JXno73
