France shone at the European Gymnastics Championships this weekend in Rimini (Italy). Les Bleues reached the fourth European podium in their history on Sunday, while Coline Devillard retained her vault title. Encouraging signs a few months before the Paris Games, even if there is still work to win medals at the Bercy Arena.
Gherardi van Eijken reveals himself
With a score of 13.866 points on vault, Coline Devillard became the first French woman to win a third European title on the same apparatus (after her titles in 2017 and 2023), a few weeks after the suspension of her coach Nellu Pop for misconduct. violence and abuse which left her stunned. She was accompanied on the podium by Ming Gherardi van Eijken, who won bronze (13,699 pts) for her first senior participation, at 16 years old.
At 23, Marine Boyer concluded her last European Championships with a bronze medal on the balance beam (14.033 points). She is now aiming for individual Olympic qualification to participate in this event in Paris, in addition to her place in the French team.
The French team in bronze at the competition
Les Bleues concluded their weekend with a podium in the team event, behind Italy and Great Britain. Ming Gherardi van Eijken scored important points before the development of the Olympic team, qualified since the fall. But there is still a way to go before the Olympics, like on the uneven bars where the Blues showed their limits, in the absence of the apparatus specialist Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos, who is preparing in the United States.
The competition was dominated by the Italians, who won five gold medals on home soil, including the team competition. Manila Esposito (17) achieved an individual hat-trick by winning gold on floor, beam and all-around, but the Azurre deplore the rupture of a cruciate ligament of their leader Asia D’Amato.
The juniors were not left out this weekend in Rimini. At 14, Elena Colas won the title of European champion on Friday in the individual competition, while Maïana Prat took third place. Their two results allowed France to win the team gold medal.
