European Gymnastics Championships: French women sixth less than 500 days before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Europe 1 with AFP 23:58 p.m., April 12, 2023

The women's France team took sixth place at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships on Wednesday in Antalya (Turkey), where Coline Devillard finished first in the vault qualifying. Without Mélanie De Jesus Dos Santos, rested after knee surgery at the end of the year, Marine Boyer, Coline Devillard, Morgane Osyssek, Dejanna Laroui and Silane Mielle scored a total of 155.296 points.

In the absence of Russia, still excluded due to the war in Ukraine, the best nation was Great Britain with 164.428 points ahead of Italy (161.629 pts) and the Netherlands (158.896 pts). The French, who could hope for a podium, were penalized by a delicate rotation on the beam, marked by falls for Marine Boyer, yet specialist in this apparatus, and Silane Mielle.

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Guaranteed to be at the Worlds

They finished the day better with their passage to vaulting, where Coline Devillard distinguished herself with the best marks of qualifying (13.866 pts). The latter, world bronze medalist last fall, will therefore aim for a podium at the final of this apparatus, scheduled for Saturday. She will try to recover her title won in 2017.

Marine Boyer, who is competing in her eighth European Championships, and Morgane Osyssek will compete in the all-around final on Friday. "We made a few mistakes, but I take the positive. We are sixth in Europe today and I think we can only do better," said Coline Devillard. "For the jump, I was really good physically and in the head. I had everything I needed so I'm not going to say it was easy, but it went well. See you in the final." The French had already secured their place in the team event for the next Worlds, a competition that will itself qualify for the Paris Olympics in less than 500 days.