Hopfner-Hibbs: On her own and raring to go

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Story contents

• The Olympic experience
• Going alone
• Making the right choice

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Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs usually would be training at this time, perfecting her dismounts and aerial layouts. Instead, the diminutive athlete is resting on a stack of gym mats at a Toronto school, waiting for her bladder to fill.

Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) officials arrived an hour ago, requesting a urine sample as part of their out-of-competition drug testing.

Hopfner-Hibbs discusses the situation with a visiting reporter. She explains that she just drank a few litres of water and, as soon as she is able, will urinate into a plastic cup in full view ofat least one of theofficials.

She seems unfazed by the awkward procedure and, for that matter, by the reporters probing questions. She is a veteran.

"When we first started working with her nine years ago we knew she was going to be quite good," says Carol-Angela Orchard of Sport Seneca. "So, when television crews came in, I picked her to give interviews.She used to cry. She just didnt want to talk to media at all."

Those days are long gone.

"We have been preparing her to leave since the moment she walked in," says Orchard. "Im proud of the beautiful, intelligent young woman she has become."

A few months shy of her 19th birthday, Hopfner-Hibbs is about to strike out on her own.

The Olympic experience

She placed third on the balance beam at the 2006 world championships to become the first Canadian woman to win a medal at the prestigious event. Since then, she has won six World Cup medals.

Now, just out of high school, she is preparing to perform with much of the world watching.

"I have been to quite a few Canadian Olympic Committee functions and have met people who have gone to the Olympics," she says while a group of young gymnasts practice a floor routine nearby. "They all tell me the same thing the experience is unlike any other.

"I know there is going to be a charged atmosphere, and Im prepared for it. I have to make sure that when Im there, I do my best routine and dont let any distractions get in the way. I want to get there and say, Im here and Im ready."

Hopfner-Hibbs hopes to advance to the finals of at least one of her specialties, the balance beam or uneven bars.

"That would be amazing. In an Olympic final, anything can happen," she says. "People who dont usually fall can fall. People who have fallen in practice can stick a landing."

Hopfner-Hibbs has been working with a personal trainer and her coach six days a week. "Im working on consistency. That is the most important thing because when I feel consistent, I feel confident," she says.

Going alone

Hopfner-Hibbs has always drawn strength from her relationship with Orchard. The bond between them was evident at this years national championships, when Hopfner-Hibbs flubbed an aerial layout during her beam routine.

"Elyse and I have always been in a partnership. So, in that routine, it wasnt that she fell off the beam. It was that we fell off the beam," says Orchard. "I am always there with her. When she is successful thats great. When she struggles, Im there too. We both struggle."

Now, theyre both struggling with an unfortunate reality: Hopfner-Hibbs will compete in the most important event of her life without Orchard at her side.

The gymnast placed second behind Nansy Damianova in the Olympic points selection race that ended at the national championships in June.

That means Damianovas coach, Katerine Dussault, gets the only coaching accreditation pass available to the Canadian womens team. If Orchard goes to Beijing, she will have limited access to her star pupil.

"I have been working closely with Elyse since she was 10 years old. Its incredibly disappointing not to be able to share the Olympic experience with her," Orchard says. "My role is completely different now. I am preparing her to do it alone."

Hopfner-Hibbs is determined to roll with the punches but is unhappy with the circumstances. "Im trying to stay out of this controversy because its emotional for me," she says. "Carol-Angela has been with me for years and she is the reason Im here."

Making the right choice

Orchard persuaded Hopfner-Hibbs to pursue her studies at UCLA, and the gymnast starts classes there a few weeks after the closing ceremony in Beijing.

"All of our best kids go there and Elyse has had a scholarship set up for years," says Orchard. "At first she said she didnt want to go. She planned to stay at home her whole life. But she was very young. Now, she is really excited about it."

"I trust Carol-Angela so much and she said I should go there," Hopfner-Hibbs explains. "The coaching style there is really similar to what Im used to. [UCLA coach Valorie Kondos Field] knows when to push and when to back off a little. I knew it was the right choice for me."

Hopfner-Hibbs has a lot to do before she arrives on campus in Los Angeles. But that to-do list is buried in her gym bag at the moment. "There are a lot changes and things happening all at once so Im taking it one step at a time. Its all I can do," she says. "If I think of everything it gets overwhelming."

The drug test, however, is no big deal.

Two hours after gulping down three litres of water, Hopfner-Hibbs heads to the washroom with a CCES official. She strolls back into the gym a short time later wearing a track jacket over her leotard.

She approaches Orchard and the visiting reporter. After chatting for a minute or two, Hopfner-Hibbs picks up her gym bag, turns and heads for the door. She looks back and smiles.

Then she is gone.