After the qualification, Ellie Black said her big hope was to make the team final because it would get the Canadian team a chance to get more experience in preparation for 2023 when they would try to qualify for the Paris Olympics. She had no idea that an Olympic team spot would be under their belt in just two days.
Black says she did not know they were in the medal contention because she wasn’t following the scores but it was important for her to do a good routine on beam for the team:
“In a team final you never know what’s going to happen, and so going into that beam routine I just wanted to be aggressive and strong and try and finish off good for Canada. I didn’t really know whether it would put us in medal contention, but I wanted us to have the highest placing we possibly could as a team, and it was tight.”
“I didn’t know anything about the scores, I didn’t know. I just wanted to go and I wanted to hit a good beam routine and to finish our competition. We had a phenomenal competition, just to finish with a steady beam routine for Canada – I was just so proud and I felt like I could do that for my team, so I was just so happy.”
Her teammate Denelle Pendrick said that after qualifying into the final in the eight place, the Canadian team felt no pressure as they had no way but up:
“We just kept saying we can’t do worse than 8th. We really just gave it our all and went for everything because when you know you’re coming in 8th, you can’t do any worse, just give it your all and that’s what we did.”
“We always say we support each other, good or bad, so it just happened that we hit twelve for twelve which was our goal for today and it’s so much fun when you can feel each other’s energy it really lifts the team spirit no matter what will come out of this.”
The team is excited about the third place – Canada’s first team medal at Worlds – but they are also excited about qualifying to the Paris Olympics. Black said:
“That means we can really focus on our consistency and our difficulty and growing and building. We don’t have to be stressed about it next year at Worlds. We really get an opportunity with this. So, I’m blown away and I think this is amazing for the full team back home. This is such a big step for us and we can set our sights to Paris and really upping our game.”
Pendrick added:
“That’s so exciting, we realized that as well and it’s kind of nice knowing two years ahead because now we can obviously prep for it and there is a little bit less pressure on the next year, so that will be really helpful.”
Laurie Denommée thinks there are even bigger things in store for team Canada:
“We’re just getting started and don’t count us out, we are definitely pushing to get better each year and we want to have our best outcome, come Paris.”
The Canadian team lost two of their strongest gymnasts in the lead up to Worlds – Rose Woo was injured and Shallon Olsen had to skip the competition because her mother passed away. Black talked about how this medal was achieved by the whole team including those who could not be in Liverpool:
“She [Shallon] was with us the whole time. We are a team and when someone on our team is not able to be there or not able to do what they need we pick it up for them. And so that’s what we’ll always do, it’s not just the team here on the floor, it’s our extended team. They [Woo and Olsen] were both with us the whole way and as much as it’s for us, it’s for everyone back home because we would not have been able to do this without every part of our team that helped us get here.”
For of the team members competed at their very first World Championships, however, some have quite a lot of experience at other competitions. Laurie Denommée competed at multiple World Cups and French Top 12 league, Emma Spence competes for the University of Nebraska, and Denelle Pendrick finished her career in NCAA (for the Central Michigan University) before coming back to elite. Black thinks their experience definitely played a role at this competition:
“They’re good competitors, all of them. They’re such strong competitors, so just this environment and the elite level of World Championships is a little bit new for them, but they all handled themselves with such grace and just being cool and collected out there. I think all of that experience they have helps this team in so, so many ways, so I think that’s what makes us stronger.”
Pendrick believes that frequent competitions definitely helped her build endurance and figure out how to pace herself:
“It helps a lot, especially at Worlds, when it’s a long competition, it’s about pacing yourself and taking each day one at a time and I think NCAA helps me prep for this in a different way. These routines are definitely harder but the NCAA season is back-to-back-to-back, so it’s a lot of work in a row, so it’s more spread out but it helps me bring that team atmosphere to our team. I keep the energy high from NCAA and from experience, it shows that it keeps everybody in good spirits.”
Ellie Black also made three individual finals, she will compete in the all-around final, on vault, and beam. She says she will need to recharge after the team final:
“Oh my gosh, I think I will need a lot of rest. This is a lot mentally, physically, emotionally, so it will be a lot of rest, but I’m excited to get back out in the all-around competition. My team will be cheering for me in the stands but I will be out there with a great group on the floor and I am just coming to work again on my gymnastics, showing good gymnastics, working on my consistency and cleanliness.”
