• Mélanie Dos Santos only took 11th in the individual all-around competition for the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday.

  • A great disappointment for the Frenchwoman, who approached her first Games with great ambitions.

  • She admits to having been overtaken by the pressure, and it is not the first time.

From our special correspondent in Tokyo,

She dreamed of a historic medal for French gymnastics.

A little too much, perhaps.

Mélanie Jesus Dos Santos (21), European champion in the discipline in 2019, took only 11th place in the individual all-around at the Tokyo Olympics, this Thursday, just ahead of the other Frenchwoman, Carolann Heduit.

With honesty, she debriefs this complicated evening - and gives her feelings on the great absent, Simone Biles.

Its competition

“I am enormously disappointed with myself, I could have done a lot better but I was overcome by stress.

There was a big stake, that of taking 3rd place, it was important for me so I put a little too much pressure on myself and I couldn't manage.

I felt it right from the start, I didn't warm up properly, so it stressed me even more and I didn't manage to pull myself together before my first stint [on uneven bars].

So it was a bit messy, and then it was complicated to get back into it.

But I held on well, I didn't fall, I can be proud of myself for that.

"

A good lesson

“Unfortunately, it had happened to me before at the world championships, where I could have gone for a medal and I missed it.

The hardest thing for me is to keep the same mindset throughout a competition.

By team, Tuesday (France finished 6th), I felt better, it was more fun, I felt a lot less stress.

I have to work on this aspect even more, I will come back stronger.

I can still officially say that I am an Olympic gymnast.

"

Simone biles

" It is complicated.

Simone, this is not a robot or a machine.

Her pressure is all the time, and not just in the gym.

it was too much, she preferred to withdraw and I think it is a very good choice on her part.

She wanted to take care of her health.

I admire his choice because it is not easy to give up the Games.

This is what we have all been waiting for for years.

But she did well.

"

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After gold in the all-around competition, Mélanie De Jesus Dos Santos won the floor

  • Gymnastic

  • Sport

  • Tokyo Olympics 2021

  • Olympic Games