Sixteen-year-old Lia-Monica Fontaine clinched a silver medal at the artistic gymnastics world championships held in Jakarta, Indonesia. Originally from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec, Fontaine secured second place in the vault event, scoring 14.033 points. The gold medal was claimed by neutral athlete Angelina Melnikova with 14.466 points, while American Joscelyn Roberson took home the bronze with a score of 13.983.
Reflecting on her achievement, Fontaine expressed her surprise at the possibility of winning a medal in her first world championships. She mentioned her confidence in the vault event but did not anticipate the outcome. Fontaine now joins the ranks as the second Canadian to earn a medal in the women’s vault, following Shallon Olsen’s silver in 2018.
Fontaine’s success at the world championships extends her remarkable season. Having transitioned to the senior level this year, Fontaine excelled at the 2025 Pan American Championships in June, securing four individual medals. These included silver in the all-around and vault, gold in floor exercise, and bronze on uneven bars.
In a parallel event, Canadian newcomer Aidan Li finished eighth in the men’s pommel horse final at the world championships, marking his debut on the global stage. Additionally, Felix Dolci placed 16th in the men’s all-around final earlier in the week.
The world 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. Black, who secured silver in the beam event in 2022 and contributed to Canada’s team bronze, also achieved an all-around silver at the 2017 worlds in Montreal.
