Halifax gymnast Ellie Black mum on plans for 2020 Olympics
2-time Olympian setting sights on nationals this month, world championship this fall
Fresh on the heels of her triple-silver win at the 2017 FIG World Challenge Cup in Slovenia, Halifax gymnast Ellie Black is now setting her sights on the nationals in Montreal later this month.
Black won the silver medal on the beam (13.100), floor (12.850) and uneven bars (13.800) at the competition in Koper, Slovenia, last weekend. She narrowly missed a bronze medal with her vault routine, finishing .300 points off the podium.
Ankle injury improving
The competition was her first since an ankle injury sidelined her earlier this year.
"It's not 100 per cent yet, but we're still working towards getting back into being at full strength," Black said in a phone interview from the Toronto airport, where she was waiting for a connecting flight to Halifax.
"That's kind of what this past competition was and nationals will be — just to keep going back into competition."
After the nationals, Black plans to train for world trials in July and the world championships this fall, which will also be held in Montreal.
'Taking it day by day'
As for the more distant future, Black is keeping mum about any plans to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
"Gymnastics is such a tough sport, so I'm just taking it day by day and enjoying every experience I can," she said.
Black, who is 21, has already competed in two Olympics — most recently in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, where she placed fifth in the individual all-around with a score of 58.298.
She said the average age of female gymnasts has changed over the years and it's no longer uncommon to see women compete in several Olympics.
"It used to be you peaked when you were 16 and you only did one Olympics and maybe rarely you'd see women do two Olympics," she said. "But now you're seeing girls stick around for one, two, even three Olympic cycles and sticking into their 20s. So it's definitely changed a bit and it's progressed."