Local gymnast hits career milestone at Canadian Championships
After previous near misses on the national stage, Evangelia Sarlis of the Kanata Rhythmic Gymnastics Club delivered a performance in Winnipeg that matched the best-ever Ottawa finish at the Canadian Championships.
The 21-year-old business administration student at Algonquin College advanced to the senior high-performance final by placing fifth in qualifying with an overall score of 89.650. She improved in the final, posting a 91.100 and coming away with bronze medals in the hoop and clubs events.
Sarlis has trained for years in Kanata, including long sessions at Bridlewood Community Elementary School, and she said the achievement was the result of steady progress after a disappointing showing when nationals were hosted locally.
“It was a very beautiful moment,” she said of qualifying for the final. “There were some big goals that I’ve been wanting to achieve throughout a couple years, and meeting those meant a lot.”
At the previous nationals, also held at Algonquin College, Sarlis recorded a total of 81.9 and missed qualifying for the high-performance final by 3.7 points. She attributed that performance to a lack of confidence at the time, but took lessons from the experience and used them to prepare for 2026.
Her routines in Winnipeg showed cleaner execution and greater composure. After securing a top-15 result required to reach the senior final, she said the pressure eased and she enjoyed the finals, treating them as the last chance to perform the season’s work.
- Qualified for senior high-performance final: 89.650 (fifth overall)
- Final score: 91.100; event bronzes in hoop and clubs
- Ribbon routine placed 14th, leaving her off the all-around podium by 1.6 points
The margin in the all-around was small. Her 14th-place finish in the ribbon kept her out of the medals for the combined competition by 1.6 points. Nevertheless, the medals in apparatus finals marked a notable advance from her prior nationals experience.
| Event | Score / Result |
|---|---|
| Previous nationals (Algonquin College) | 81.9 total — missed qualification by 3.7 points |
| 2026 nationals (qualifying) | 89.650 — fifth place |
| 2026 nationals (final) | 91.100 — bronzes in hoop and clubs |
For Kanata’s rhythmic gymnastics community, Sarlis’s result is a concrete sign of the club’s development pipeline. The athlete’s path — training in neighbourhood school gyms while attending college locally — illustrates the dual demands facing many young Ontarians pursuing sport at a high level while maintaining academic studies.
Coaches and club officials often point to the value of competition experience, not just raw scores. Sarlis’s own reflection on confidence underlines that progression in judged sports is as much mental as technical: overcoming mistakes at a home-hosted nationals and returning the following year to reach finals demonstrates growth that will resonate with younger gymnasts in Kanata.
Her performance also contributes to Ottawa-area sport history by equalling one of the city’s best national finishes; the achievement is likely to encourage renewed interest among local parents and athletes considering rhythmic gymnastics as a competitive pathway.
As the season closes, Sarlis described the finals as an opportunity to savour routines one last time for the year and to leave everything on the carpet. For Kanata supporters, the result provides reason to follow her next steps, whether that means continuing on the high-performance track or balancing further education with sport.
