As she prepares to compete in her seventh Olympic Games, Melina Robert-Michon will have the honour of being named flag bearer.
Mélina Robert-Michon was born on July 18, 1979 in Voiron (Isère), France. She grew up in a sporty family, with a father who played rugby and a mother who was involved in swimming. From a young age, Mélina showed a keen interest in sports and tried several disciplines before turning to athletics. It was at the age of 15 that she finally discovered a passion for discus throwing, after having tried several other specialties. Mélina Robert-Michon developed within the Lyon Athletics club and began to get noticed on the national scene.
In 1998, at the age of 19, she won her first national title in the junior category and her performances allowed her to take part in her first international competitions. Two years later, the thrower had already qualified for her first Olympic Games, in 2000 in Sydney, where she failed to qualify for the final. Over the years, she became a key figure in discus throwing in France, accumulating French champion titles and selections for international competitions.
It was not until the 2010s that Mélina Robert-Michon achieved notable performances at the international level, with a silver medal at the world championships in 2013 and, above all, another silver medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016. It was during this competition that she achieved her personal best (66.73 metres). Since then, Mélina Robert-Michon has not managed to repeat such a level of performance but remains consistent at the top level. At 45, the discus thrower will compete in her 7th Olympic Games in Paris this summer wearing the French jersey.
Why does Mélina Robert-Michon deserve to be France’s flag bearer?
While the designation of the flag bearers has been much talked about in the run-up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Mélina Robert-Michon was one of the favourites against Romane Dicko (judo) and Estelle Mossely (boxing). Which was obviously an immense honour for the discus thrower. “I don’t even know if I have a word to define how strong it would be,” she explained recently. “Being a flag bearer is exceptional, a strong symbol of the Games. I would be very proud of it.” With the announcement of her nomination, it is a deserved consecration, particularly for Kevin Mayer, star of French athletics. “JI didn’t even want to run because I wanted to vote for her, he smiled. I wanted it to be her. She’s a girl I admired and who has become a friend. I’m very happy for her, it’s a well-deserved ovation to her career. “
What is Mélina Robert-Michon’s track record?
Mélina Robert-Michon has not won a gold medal at the Olympic Games or the World Championships, but the Frenchwoman still has a very fine track record. At the national level, she won the national discus throw title 23 times, from 2000 to 2024 (she only did not win the title in 2010 and 2018 due to absence). At the international level, the silver medal at the Rio Olympics remains her best performance. She also won silver at the World Championships in 2013 and bronze in 2017, not to mention a silver medal at the European Championships in 2014 and a bronze in 2018.