Zachary Clay

Zachary Clay
Full nameZachary Clay
Born (1995-07-05) July 5, 1995 (age 31)
Gymnastics career
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
Country represented
ClubTwisters Gymnastics Club
Head coach
Richard Ikeda
RetiredJuly 4, 2025
Medal record
Representing  Canada
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place2018 Gold CoastTeam
Bronze medal – third place2014 GlasgowTeam
Bronze medal – third place2018 Gold CoastPommel horse
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place2023 SantiagoPommel horse
Silver medal – second place2023 SantiagoTeam
Bronze medal – third place2019 LimaTeam
Pan American Championships
Gold medal – first place2017 LimaPommel horse
Silver medal – second place2023 MedellínTeam
Pacific Rim Championships
Silver medal – second place2024 CaliTeam
Silver medal – second place2024 CaliPommel horse

Zachary Clay (born July 5, 1995) is a Canadian former artistic gymnast. He is the 2017 Pan American and 2023 Pan American Games champion on pommel horse. He represented Canada at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Gymnastics career

2014–15

Clay helped Canada win the bronze medal in the team final at the 2014 Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, Scotland.

In 2015, Clay tore his ACL and fractured his tibia during a competition.

2017–19

Clay competed at the 2017 Pan American Championships. He won gold on pommel horse, earning his first major international title. He later competed at the World Championships where he placed 21st in the all-around.

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Clay helped Canada finish second as a team. Individually he won the bronze medal on pommel horse behind Rhys McClenaghan and Max Whitlock. In September Clay competed at the 2018 Pan American Championships where he helped Canada finish fifth as a team. The following month, he competed at the World Championships where he helped Canada finish 18th during qualifications.

Clay represented Canada at the 2019 Pan American Games held in Lima, Peru. He helped Canada win the bronze medal in the team final. Individually, he placed sixth during the pommel horse final.

2022

Clay competed at the DTB Pokal Team Challenge and Mixed Cup in Stuttgart. During the team challenge, he helped Canada finish fifth as a team. At the 2022 World Championships, Clay helped the Canadian team finish tenth during qualifications. He did not qualify for any individual finals.

2023

Clay competed at the 2023 Pan American Championships where he helped Canada win the silver medal.

In October, Clay competed at the 2023 World Championships alongside René Cournoyer, Félix Dolci, William Emard, and Jayson Rampersad. During qualifications he helped Canada finish fourth, which qualified Canada a team berth to the 2024 Olympic Games, a feat last achieved by the Canadian men's gymnastics team in 2008. During the team final Clay contributed a score on pommel horse towards Canada's seventh-place finish.

Clay next competed at the Pan American Games. On the first day of competition he helped the Canadian team win the silver medal behind the United States. Individually he qualified to the pommel horse final. On the first day of event finals Clay won gold on pommel horse ahead of compatriot Rampersad. In doing so, Clay became the first Canadian to win gold on pommel horse at the Pan American Games.

2024

In late June Clay was named to the team to represent Canada at the 2024 Summer Olympics alongside René Cournoyer, Félix Dolci, William Émard, and Samuel Zakutney. While there he helped Canada finish eighth as a team.

Competitive history

Competitive history of Zachary Clay
Year Event Team AA FX PH SR VT PB HB
2011 Commonwealth Youth Games2nd place, silver medalist(s)74456
2014 Elite Canada1st place, gold medalist(s)
Canadian Championships1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Commonwealth Games3rd place, bronze medalist(s)8
World Championships14
2015 Elite Canada1st place, gold medalist(s)4
World Championships15
2017 Canadian Championships1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)43rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Pan American Championships1st place, gold medalist(s)66
World Championships21
2018 Elite Canada58
UCIC Calgary3rd place, bronze medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Commonwealth Games2nd place, silver medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Canadian Championships52nd place, silver medalist(s)88
Guimarães Challenge Cup5
Pan American Championships57
World Championships18
Toyota International46
2019 Elite Canada3rd place, bronze medalist(s)72nd place, silver medalist(s)65
UCIC Calgary7445
Canadian Championships41st place, gold medalist(s)63rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Pan American Games3rd place, bronze medalist(s)6
2021 Koper Challenge Cup4
World Championships1944
2022 DTB Pokal Team Challenge56
DTB Pokal Mixed Cup4
Paris Challenge Cup4
World Championships10
2023 Elite Canada2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Pan American Championships2nd place, silver medalist(s)
RomGym Trophy2nd place, silver medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)
World Championships7
Pan American Games2nd place, silver medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)5
2024 Elite Canada56119972nd place, silver medalist(s)
DTB Pokal Team Challenge11
Pacific Rim Championships2nd place, silver medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Canadian Championships7112nd place, silver medalist(s)7147
RomGym Trophy4
Olympic Games8

References

  1. ↑ @z_clay; (July 4, 2025). "Since I'm now retired, I feel like it's appropriate to show the skill I invented back in 2017" – via Instagram.
  2. ↑ "Gymnastics Results Book" (PDF). 2014 Commonwealth Games. Archived from the original on December 8, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  3. ↑ "8 years ago, an injury almost ended Zachary Clay's gymnastics career. Now he's helped Canada make the Olympics". CBC News. October 2, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Fraser Valley's Zachary Clay becomes first Canadian to win Pan Am gold in pommel horse". Surrey Now-Leader. October 25, 2023. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Artistic Gymnastics Results Book" (PDF). 2018 Commonwealth Games. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 24, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Artistic Gymnastics Results Book" (PDF). 2019 Pan American Games. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  7. ↑ "2022 World Championships Men's Results". The Gymternet. November 9, 2022.
  8. ↑ "U.S. claims men's and women's team titles at Pan American Championships". USA Gymnastics. May 28, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Canada sending men's gymnastics team to Olympics for 1st time since 2008". CBC News. October 1, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Santiago 2023 - Team USA claims Pan Am Games men's artistic gymnastics team gold - results". International Olympic Committee. October 21, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Men's Pommel Horse FINAL". 2023 Pan American Games. October 24, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Team Canada gymnasts setting the bar high for Paris 2024". Canadian Olympic Committee. June 28, 2024.
  13. ↑ "2024 Olympic Games Men's Results". The Gymternet. August 5, 2024.