Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs: Successes Already Achieved - and Challenges That Lie In The Future

On the off-chance that you like reading old news, this is a profile of a Canadian gymnast I did in May, 2008.

Prior to last week’s World Cup event in Tianjin, China, Canadian gymnast Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs explained that she went there with one thing in mind – preparing for Beijing. Because of the magnitude of an Olympic experience, Coaches Carol-Angela Orchard and Brian McVey wanted Ms. Hopfner-Hibbs to have some event experience in China.

If it seems premature to be focusing on the Olympics before she is even able to qualify, Coach Orchard clarifies that she has been preparing for this for the past nine years. “Since she was 10. She was the novice champion of Canada when she was 10 and it’s a matter of building on that constantly.” The two women to represent Canada in Beijing will be selected at the National Championships in Calgary, from June 1-8.

The amount of preparation required places a tremendous amount of pressure on Ms. Hopfner-Hibbs. “The psychological aspect is now probably the most important thing for Elyse. We are dealing more with the psychological aspect of dealing with the pressure of an Olympic Games, which is huge.”

Orchard is no stranger to the Olympics. She has trained three former Olympians, including Canadians Monica Covacci and Michelle Conway. “On paper, (Hopfner-Hibbs) is superior to any gymnast that we have ever had in Canada – she has accomplished things nobody else has ever done. She has shattered that glass ceiling, so now little kids think, ‘a Canadian can do it.’”

Despite her lack of Olympic experience, Hopfner-Hibbs leads Canadian women with several firsts for the program. She was the first Canadian woman to medal at a World Championships – she won bronze on the balance beam in 2007. She was the first Canadian woman to win a gold medal at a World Cup event. Until April, Canadian women had won 5 medals at World Cup events – four of those belong to Ms. Hopfner-Hibbs.

Last week, on her first ever trip to China, she won her 3rd World Cup medal of the year on the uneven bars – a silver, following a gold medal won in Maribor, Czech Republic and a bronze from Dohar, Qatar. She says that her international success gives her confidence leading up to the Olympic qualifications. “My name has gotten out there, which is important in a judged sport. The judges have seen me and have responded to my routine, so it gives you confidence to know that you are able to compete with the best.”

Orchard says she is well prepared, but is quick to point out that the pressure of the Olympics changes the competition. For an uneven bars and balance-beam specialist such as Hopfner-Hibbs, it all depends on how she performs from moment-to-moment. “Her routines are definitely comparable. She could definitely make a final. And once you’re in the final, anything can happen, especially on beam.”



Following the Olympics, Hopfner-Hibbs will reap the benefits of her past decade of hard work – she will enroll as a student at University of California – Los Angeles in August, where she will be on a full scholarship for gymnastics. She isn’t sure what she wants to study. “I’ve changed my mind so many times… I’m just going to go and see what I like best,” she gushes, suddenly an excited 18-year-old. Following a brief pause, she catches herself and looks again like the professional she has been for the past decade. “But that’s all for after the Olympics.”