From beginner to Olympian: Meet Canada's youngest male to fence on the world stage
Nicholas Zhang, 17, will be competing at the Paris Olympics in July. He is the youngest Canadian male fencer to ever compete in the category.
Zhang grew up in Richmond, B.C., and has been training since he was seven years old.
"This is my dream, I want to be an Olympian, I want to win the Olympics, it is crazy that I am one step closer to that," says Zhang.
Zhang qualified in a dramatic overtime victory in Costa Rica, with his coach Igor Gantsevich at his side, who has been working with him since the beginning.
"Seeing a kid from a young age like walk in here as a beginner now going to the biggest stage, it shows anything is possible," explains Gantsevich.
The coach had his own dreams of going to the Olympics as an athlete back in 2010, but sustained a "career-ending injury" and was unable to compete to qualify.
"It was the worst day of my life when I got injured, I tried to recover but when one door closes, many more open. That day became one of the best days," he said.
Gantsevich is the president of the Dynamo Fencing Club, taking it over from his father. He calls Zhang’s qualification a huge win for the entire club, who call themselves a family.
"This is a new step for our club and it is amazing for our young fencers, especially because they can use this as inspiration … I hope to be a role model for them," says Zhang.
Nicholas’s father, Martin Zhang, has also been integral to his journey. He is incredibly proud and excited to watch his son compete in Paris in July.
"I am wishing him the best and I want him to enjoy every moment for his first Olympics. He has been training 10 years for this," says Martin.
Zhang hopes his journey can show other aspiring Olympians to "never stop believing."
His journey is not over yet, once he wraps in Paris, he is headed to Boston to train at Harvard University, where he was recruited.
"Not bad for a high school kid not even finished Grade 12 yet already qualified for the Olympics and got recruited to Harvard," says Gantsevich.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Parliamentary report on Emergencies Act decision is 18 months past due — and counting
The erstwhile group of senators and MPs studying the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act over the "Freedom Convoy" was supposed to present its findings in December. December of 2022, that is.
Drone footage shows Ukrainian village battered to ruins as residents flee Russian advance
The Ukrainian village of Ocheretyne has been battered by fighting, drone footage obtained by The Associated Press shows. The village has been a target for Russian forces in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Egypt media cite progress in truce talks as Israel downplays chances of end to war with Hamas
A delegation of the Palestinian militant group Hamas was in Cairo on Saturday as Egyptian state media reported "noticeable progress" in ongoing cease-fire talks with Israel while an Israeli official downplayed the prospects for a full end to the war.
Bystander livestreams during Charlotte standoff show an ever-growing appetite for social media video
Saing Chhoeun was locked out of his Charlotte, N.C., home on Monday as law enforcement with high-powered rifles descended into his yard and garage, using a car as a shield as they were met with a shower of gunfire from the direction of his neighbor's house.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.