Gymnast makes strong comeback
Ellie Black lined up at the vault, her first event in the 2020 American Cup on Saturday, leaned in and charged forward. She launched herself, took a side step on the landing and earned a 13.733 score, but that’s not why she relaxed with big smiles and pumped arms afterward.
It was just two weeks ago she found out she would even be here.
This was the 24-yearold Canadian’s first allaround competition since she badly injured her right ankle while landing her vault at the World Championships in October.
So Saturday at Fiserv Forum was a good first step.
“I was happy just to land it,” said Black, a twotime Olympian. “On my feet. Even though it wasn’t the best, it was a really good starting point for me.
“I achieved a lot of my goal just being here in training.”
This was a successful 2020 American Cup Saturday at Fiserv Forum for Black. The 24-year-old from Halifax, Nova Scotia, scored an overall 53.299 for fifth place in the women’s all-around competition.
Brooklyn Moors, was initially scheduled to make her American Cup debut in Milwaukee, but it was announced two weeks ago Black would take the spot.
“I was planning on being at Gymnix this weekend, and trying for events,” said Black. “But this is obviously a bit higher caliber and level of competition.”
Especially for someone coming back from injury.
Black underwent surgery at the end of October, after tearing ligaments in her right ankle just eight months before the Olympics.
Black landed a bit short on her vault at the final all-around event at the world championships in Stuttgart, Germany. The ankle is at about 7580% healthy, she said.
Black has always been a fast healer, although she did say this was one of the most serious of her career.
“I’m going to do everything possible to heal and rest and get strong again,” said Black. “We’re making sure we’re taking the steps – not pushing the load too much, too quickly.”
So she worked on the uneven bars and even some on the beam after she spent the first six weeks post-op on crutches and in a boot.
“I was just really careful about not falling off,” said Black. “Beam was the first foot event that I started back on, because a lot of my skills were lower impact, not as pounding. Turns, leaps, that kind of stuff.”
Black’s Canadian team already has qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, and she expects to be there.