Men’s gymnasts are the latest Canadian athletes to clinch a team spot for the Paris Olympics next summer.
Needing a top-12 finish from Sunday’s qualification round at artistic world championships, Canada amassed 249.26 points across six disciplines to qualify fourth for Tuesday’s team final in Antwerp, Belgium.
Canada has not sent a men’s gymnastics squad to the Summer Games since 2008 in Beijing.
“Mission accomplished,” René Cournoyer, the lone men’s team member to compete at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, told Gymnastics Canada. “There is so much significance to this fourth-place finish and I am so proud of my teammates.”
Felix Dolci of Saint-Eustache, Que., also excelled during the team qualification, placing eighth on the horizontal bar with a score of 14.133. A young and fierce competitor, the 21-year-old competed at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games and was a junior world champion the following year.
Gymnastics Canada also stated Zachary Clay of Langley, B.C., who has made seven world championship appearances, played a pivotal role in Sunday’s achievement by demonstrating his prowess on the pommel horse.
Jayson Rampersad, William Émard and Yanni Chronopoulos are the other members of the team.
“What a competition — the atmosphere, emotion, team spirit. Incredible,” Ed Van Hoof, Canada’s head national team coach, said in a statement released by Gymnastics Canada. “This result speaks volumes for the team work that has brought us to this position.
“This team has responded to adversity over the past few years and risen to the occasion. The team was well prepared and confident going in and produced an historic result. Hopefully, it will inspire the next generation.”
Japan qualified first for Tuesday’s men’s team final with 258.22 points, with the United States following with 254.62.
At last year’s worlds, the Canadian women made history.
Three-time Olympian Ellie Black, Laurie Denommee, Denelle Pedrick, Emma Spence and Sydney Turner collected bronze in the team event to secure a berth for Paris, Canada’s first-ever world medal in the team event.
