Sixteen-year-old Lia-Monica Fontaine clinched a silver medal at the artistic gymnastics world championships held in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Friday. Hailing from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec, Fontaine secured the second spot in the vault event with a score of 14.033 points. The gold medal was claimed by neutral athlete Angelina Melnikova, scoring 14.466 points, while American Joscelyn Roberson took home the bronze with a score of 13.983.
Reflecting on her achievement, Fontaine expressed surprise at the possibility of winning a medal in her debut appearance at the world championships. She becomes only the second Canadian to earn a medal in the women’s vault, following Shallon Olsen’s silver in 2018.
Fontaine’s success at the championships is a testament to her remarkable season. Transitioning to the senior level this year, she showcased her talent by securing four individual medals at the 2025 Pan American Championships in June. These included a silver in the all-around and vault, a gold in floor exercise, and a bronze on the uneven bars.
In another event today, Canada’s Aidan Li, a newcomer to the world championships, finished eighth in the men’s pommel horse final, while Felix Dolci placed 16th in the men’s all-around final earlier this week. The championships will draw to a close on Saturday with five more apparatus finals.
Ellie Black, a 30-year-old Canadian athlete, qualified fourth for the women’s beam final in her ninth appearance at the world championships. Notably, Black secured a silver in the beam event at the 2022 worlds and contributed to Canada’s team bronze. She also achieved an all-around silver at the 2017 worlds held in Montreal.