Ava Stewart
Stewart in 2021
Personal information
Full nameAva Elizabeth Stewart
Country represented Canada
Born (2005-09-30) September 30, 2005 (age 18)
Lebanon, Tennessee
HometownBowmanville, Ontario
DisciplineWomen's artistic gymnastics
LevelSenior International Elite
Years on national team2020–present (CAN)
ClubGemini Gymnastics
College teamMinnesota Golden Gophers (2025–28)
Head coach(es)Elena Davydova
Assistant coach(es)Valery Yahchybekov
Medal record
Representing  Canada
Pan American Games
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Santiago Team
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Santiago Balance beam
Pan American Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Rio de Janeiro Team

Ava Elizabeth Stewart (born September 30, 2005) is an American-born Canadian artistic gymnast. She represented Canada at the 2020 Summer Olympics and was a member of the bronze medal winning teams at the 2022 Pan American Championships and 2023 Pan American Games.

Early life

Stewart was born in Lebanon, Tennessee in 2005 to an American mother and a Canadian father. Her family moved to Bowmanville, Ontario in 2010.[1] She began gymnastics when she was eighteen months old.[2]

Gymnastics career

2020

Stewart made her elite debut at Elite Canada where she finished third in the junior all-around behind Maya Zonneveld and Cassie Lee.[3] As a result, she was selected to make her international debut at 2020 L'International Gymnix. While there, she was part of the Canadian team that finished fourth. Individually, she finished seventh in the all-around and won the bronze medal on the balance beam behind Americans Konnor McClain and Skye Blakely.[4]

2021

Stewart became age-eligible for senior competition in 2021 and made her senior debut at Elite Canada, which was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. She finished second in the all-around and on balance beam behind Ellie Black, first on floor exercise, and third on uneven bars behind Rose-Kaying Woo and Black.[5] Stewart was scheduled to compete at the Doha World Cup in March; however, the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar.[6][7] Stewart next competed at two Technical Trials where she finished second in the all-around behind Black at both.[8][9][10] Stewart competed at the Canadian Championships where she once again finished second in the all-around behind Black. Additionally she finished first on uneven bars, second on balance beam behind Black, and fourth on floor exercise behind Brooklyn Moors, Black, and Lillian Bate.[11]

On June 17, Stewart was officially named to Canada's 2020 Olympic team alongside Black, Moors, and Shallon Olsen.[12] Had the Olympic Games not been postponed, Stewart would not have been age-eligible for the competition due to her 2005 birth year.[13] Stewart made her senior international debut at the Olympic Games.[14] The Canadian team finished tenth in the qualification round and did not advance to the finals.[15]

2022

Stewart competed at the 2022 City of Jesolo Trophy where she helped Canada finish third in the team competition. Individually she qualified to and finished fifth in the uneven bars event final.[16] In July Stewart competed at the Pan American Championships where she helped Canada finish third as a team.

2023

Stewart announced her verbal commit to the Minnesota Golden Gophers, starting in the 2024–25 season.[17]

In early October Stewart competed at the 2023 World Championships where she helped the Canadian team finish twelfth in qualifications. Later that month she competed at the Pan American Games. On the first day of competition Stewart helped Canada win bronze behind the United States and Brazil. Individually she qualified to the all-around, uneven bars, and balance beam finals. During the all-around final she finished fifth. During event finals she placed sixth on uneven bars and won bronze on balance beam behind Brazilians Rebeca Andrade and Flávia Saraiva.[18]

Eponymous skill

Apparatus Name Description Difficulty[a] When Added to the Code of Points
Uneven bars Stewart Dismount: Swing backward to double salto forward piked E 2022 Pan American Championships[19]
  1. ^ Valid for the 2022–2024 Code of Points

Competitive history

Year Event Team AA VT UB BB FX
Junior
2020 Elite Canada 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
L'International Gymnix 4 7 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Senior
2021 Elite Canada 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Technical Trial #1 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Technical Trial #2 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Canadian Championships 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 4
Olympic Games 10
2022 City of Jesolo Trophy 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 5
Pan American Championships 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2023 Elite Canada 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Cairo World Cup 5
World Championships 12
Pan American Games 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 5 6 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)

References

  1. ^ "Canada's Ava Stewart and Coach Elena Davydova Take On 2021". International Gymnast. March 14, 2021.
  2. ^ "Ava Stewart". Olympics Canada. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Future Bruins Battle for Elite Canada Title". The Gymternet. February 13, 2020.
  4. ^ "USA wins senior and junior team titles, 10 individual titles at 2020 Gymnix International". USA Gymnastics. March 9, 2020. Archived from the original on March 23, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  5. ^ "2021 WAG Elite Canada Official Results" (PDF). Gymnastics Canada. April 6, 2021. p. 2. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  6. ^ "Roster set for final apparatus world cup Olympic qualifier". The Gymternet. February 14, 2021.
  7. ^ "New date for FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup soon: LOC". Doha Gym. February 22, 2021.
  8. ^ "2021 Canadian Technical Trial 1 Results". The Gymternet. April 5, 2021.
  9. ^ "2021 Canadian Technical Trial 2 Results". The Gymternet. May 3, 2021.
  10. ^ "Black dominates 2021 Elite Canada Virtual Competition Series in lead-up to Tokyo". Sport Information Research Centre. May 6, 2021.
  11. ^ "2021 Canadian Championships In Women's Artistic Gymnastics". GymCan.
  12. ^ Awad, Brandi (17 June 2021). "Five artistic gymnasts set to fly for Team Canada at Tokyo 2020". Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  13. ^ Tétrault-farber, Gabrielle (October 25, 2021). "Gymnastics-Too young in 2020? Olympic postponement shines spotlight on next generation". Reuters. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  14. ^ Follert, Jillian (June 30, 2021). "'Dream big:' Durham gymnast Ava Stewart, 15, heads to Tokyo Olympics". Durham Region. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  15. ^ "Artistic Gymnastics: Women's Qualification – Results" (PDF). International Olympic Committee. July 25, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  16. ^ "U.S. athletes earn 14 medals, six gold, on final day of 2022 City of Jesolo Trophy". USA Gymnastics. April 10, 2022.
  17. ^ "Gophers Add Canadian Olympic Team Member Ava Stewart to Program". Minnesota Golden Gophers. June 6, 2023.
  18. ^ "Brazil, USA golden twice on the last day of Pan American Games". International Gymnast Media. October 26, 2023.
  19. ^ "New named elements join to Women's Gymnastics Code of Points in 2022". International Gymnastics Federation. December 30, 2022.

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