Canada secures Olympic berth with historic bronze in world gymnastics championships
Black, Denommee, Pedrick, Spence, Turner secure Canada's 1st world medal in event
Canada has made history at the world gymnastics championships.
Three-time Olympian Ellie Black, Laurie Denommee, Denelle Pedrick, Emma Spence and Sydney Turner won bronze in the team event to secure a berth in that event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
It's Canada's first ever world medal in the team event.
The Canadians scored 160.563 points en route to bronze. The United States won gold with 166.564, while Britain claimed the silver (163.363).
A bronze medal finish in the team finals and that's history for women's artistic gymnastics in Canada!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ArtWorlds2022?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ArtWorlds2022</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EllieBlack_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EllieBlack_</a> <a href="https://t.co/z8PHT62YMc">pic.twitter.com/z8PHT62YMc</a>
—@gymcan1Black's rock-solid beam routine in the final rotation helping the Canadians surge to a team total of 160.563, nearly a full point better than Brazil, which finished in fourth place. Not bad for a team that barely squeaked into the final spot in the eight-team final.
Black, the most accomplished Canadian gymnast in the program's history, wept when her country's flag moved into third.
"I couldn't believe it and I didn't want them to joke with me that we maybe could be third," Black said. "I'm just blown away. I'm so proud of the team. Going into the final we were eighth and we said we could only go up from there."
WATCH | Ellie Black secures historic team medal for Canada:
Team Russia serving ban
Russia, the reigning Olympic champion, is currently banned from competing at FIG and European Gymnastics federation-hosted events due to the war in Ukraine.
A year after finishing second to the Russians at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, the U.S. returned to the top spot by relying on the experience of Chiles and Carey — both of whom won medals in Japan — and the steely resolve of Jones.
Save for a fall by Blakely on beam, the U.S. avoided major mistakes, taking the lead on vault in its first rotation and never letting Britain get within real striking distance.
With files from The Associated Press
