Sam Zakutney makes Olympic dream come true with solid nationals in Gatineau

By Emma Zhao

The last time Canada competed in the Olympics in the men’s artistic gymnastics team event was the Beijing 2008 Games, when Sam Zakutney was just starting to get into the sport’s competitive world.

“I was watching the Beijing Olympics on TV, and my parents remember me always making little remarks on what some of the athletes were doing well, and what they weren’t doing well,” recalls Zakutney. “I already had that technical eye for the sport, I guess.”

Four Olympics and several major injuries later, the 25-year-old from Ottawa will now be the one being watched, having been officially confirmed as a member of Team Canada’s Paris 2024 team on Friday following a solid performance at the Canadian Gymnastics Championships a few weeks earlier in Gatineau.

“I’M AN OLYMPIAN!!!” Zakutney beamed in an Instagram post. “What can I say other than this: what a journey.”

Shortly after moving to Montreal during COVID, the Franco-Cité high school and Penn State University engineering grad tore his ACL knee ligament, followed by a ruptured pectoral muscle last year.

While on the sidelines for the 2023 World Championships, Zakutney’s Canadian teammates used a “Do it for Sam” rallying cry as they clinched an Olympic berth with a fourth-place performance in the team event qualification.

Read Full Story: Gymnast Sam Zakutney can claim Paris 2024 ticket at this week’s Olympic trials in Gatineau

“These past three years have easily been the toughest of my career, in all aspects,” Zakutney highlighted on Instagram. “I’ve been tested physically and mentally in ways I never expected. To face two major injuries immediately following a move back to Canada through the pandemic, it nearly broke me.

“To come home and give my full devotion to realize my lifelong dream and to be greeted like that, it filled me with so much anger and doubt. I questioned my ambitions and goals, almost accepting them as pure delusion. Is it really worth it?

“I can’t say I wouldn’t change how things happened, but I can say I wouldn’t change with who. I couldn’t have surrounded myself with a more amazing group of people. The belief and support from so many friends, family, coaches, IST staff, medical professionals. They’ve lit and kindled the fire in me that struggled to stay lit on its own. So I owe this to all of you.”

Powered by strong second- and third-place performances on parallel bars and high bar, Zakutney punched his ticket for Paris by firmly establishing himself within the top-four men in the all-around competition at the nationals.

“Not only am I going to the Olympics, I’ll be a part of the first men’s team to be sent since Beijing 2008,” Zakutney added. “It’s truly an honour to embrace this experience with such a great team.”

Breakout star born at Canadian Gymnastics Championships

While Zakutney claimed his Olympic berth at the nationals, Ottawa’s Mackenzie Grant loudly announced that she’ll be one to watch for future Team Canada opportunities with a dominant breakout performance in the novice women’s event.

In a competition where athletes are frequently separated by just fractions of a point, the 12-year-old from Edge Gymnastics topped the novice standings by over four points with her standout score of 104.682.

Grant also scored better than all junior gymnasts up to three years older on the first day of competition and would have been second overall in the combined standings.

Edge Gymnastics coach Lauren Mooney says that Grant is a natural born performer.

“Even at a young age, she kind of always had that where she was always driving the boat,” Mooney indicates. “She stands out in a crowd.”

The Canadian Championships in Gatineau were just the second time Grant competed nationally, having placed fourth all-around in the novice event at Elite Canada earlier this year.

Grant, who inspired her parents to sign her up for gymnastics by constantly jumping and flipping around as a youngster, says confidence and consistency were her big keys to success in rising up the ranks.

“Sometimes my warm-ups before I would compete, they weren’t as strong,” reflects Grant, who earned Ontario Quest for Gold funding with her result. “But, that just means I have to pull it together when I perform.”

Alexandra Reddick of the Ottawa Gymnastics Centre also topped the standings at the nationals, finishing first on the second day of the women’s Level 10, Age 16+ competition.

“I was really excited to show off what I’ve been working towards these past few months,” recounts Reddick, who was third overall in the combined standings of both days. “I think I took a lot of pressure off of myself and just had a lot of fun.”

Reddick, who won an Ontario title earlier this season at April’s provincials in Ottawa, says she did feel the pressure to place well at the nationals, but did her best to ignore it.

“I tried to take the focus off that and just focus on doing my best and also enjoying the experience,” Reddick highlights.

Annika Magneron of TRYumph Gymnastics helped Ontario to victory in the women’s Level 9, Age 15+ team competition. Magneron’s strong showings on uneven bars and vault sprung Ontario to the win, and boosted her to a seventh-place finish in the combined all-around standings.

“I’m pretty happy with my performance,” signals the Louis-Riel high school student who’s planning to paint and make pottery this summer, and learn some more advanced gymnastics skills. “This is my best year so far, so I was just trying to enjoy my time there (at the nationals).”

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