DE JESUS DOS SANTOS. A great hope for gymnastics in France, Mélanie De Jesus dos Santos has chosen to go and train in the United States. Biography, track record, size, find out who the French gymnast is.
Mélanie De Jesus dos Santos was born on March 5, 2000 in Schœlcher, Martinique. It was there that she grew up and began gymnastics at the age of 5, after a brief stint in judo. She was quickly spotted and decided, at the age of 13, to move to metropolitan France to be able to train at the Pôle France in Saint-Étienne. A crucial decision for her career, since this change allowed her to benefit from high-level supervision and to progress quickly.
Mélanie De Jesus dos Santos joined the French junior team shortly after arriving in Saint-Etienne, despite some difficulties adapting. Selected to participate in her first Olympic Games in 2016, in Rio, she unfortunately seriously injured her knee (ruptured cruciate ligament) in the summer of 2015 and had to give up on her dream. The Martinican did not make her senior debut until June 2016 but quickly showed that she had the level to compete with the best gymnasts.
In 2017, she won her first individual medal in a major competition, taking gold on floor at the European Championships. In the following years, Mélanie continued to add to her list of achievements. In particular, she became European champion in the all-around competition in 2019, a first for France in over ten years. Not to mention several medals on apparatus at the European Championships and World Cup competitions. But for her first Olympic Games, in Tokyo in 2021, the Frenchwoman did not win a medal, with an 11th place in the individual general ranking. She left in 2022 to train in the United States for the Paris Olympics.
Why did she go into exile in the United States?
After a well-deserved break following the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021, Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos chose to leave mainland France and Saint-Etienne, where she had been training since 2013. At the start of 2022, the French gymnast set down her suitcases in Houston, Texas, to get back on track after a disappointing Olympic Games in terms of results. The Martinican joined French coaches Laurent Landi and Cécile Canqueteau-Landi, who notably look after Simone Biles, the American gymnastics superstar. A way to relaunch her career and toughen up mentally, as she considered quitting everything after the Tokyo Olympics. With the hope that it would pay off for Paris 2024.
What is Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos’s track record?
Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos has only one medal at the world level, obtained with the French team in the team all-around competition in 2023. The Frenchwoman has, however, won seven medals at the European Championships, including four gold (2018, 2019 and 2021). She has also won eight gold medals at World Cup events, including three since the start of 2024, not to mention eight titles at the French championships, since her debut in 2016.
What is the size of Melanie de Jesus dos Santos?
Known for her dynamic style, power and grace, Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos has the ideal size to practice gymnastics at the highest level. She is 1m52 tall and weighs around 40 kilos, while she just celebrated her 24th birthday in March.