Gymnastics: Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos crowned European champion on beam three months before the Olympic Games

This bodes well with less than three months from the Tokyo Olympics.

Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos became European champion on beam on Sunday in Basel.

On Wednesday, the French gymnast qualified not without difficulty for the final of the event in which she was European vice-champion two years ago.

To win this title, the 21-year-old Martinique raised her performance. Accustomed to the exit in double tucked back somersault, especially during qualifying, Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos added a twist to increase her difficulty score. A risk-taking that paid off despite a big leap forward at the reception. The Frenchwoman won in front of the Olympic champion of the specialty, the Dutch Sanne Wevers while the favorite, the Romanian Larisa Iordache, had forfeited due to a kidney infection from which she had not yet recovered after qualifying. . Note that Marine Boyer, the second French qualified for this beam final, finished sixth.

🇫🇷 🥇The title of European champion on beam for Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos who is ahead of the reigning Olympic champion!

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Fourth continental title

With this European title on the beam, Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos returns to the forefront of international gymnastics, she who had not played in official competition since the 2019 World Championships. At the 2019 European Championships, she won the general competition that she decided not to present this year in Basel in order to first regain her feelings. Two years ago, she also retained her title on the floor. This first European title on the beam is therefore the fourth continental for the young French gymnast.

This victory compensates for the failure of the French on uneven bars earlier in the week. An event that never really succeeded for her, as evidenced by her two falls which relegated her to 20th place in the all-around two years earlier. Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos now has her eyes riveted on the Tokyo Olympic Games with a clear objective: to reach the podium.