France’s Coline Devillard crowned European jumping champion

Successful take-off for Coline Devillard. The gymnast was crowned European jumping champion (13.800 points) on Saturday April 15 in Antalya, Turkey, offering the French delegation its first podium in this meeting. The licensee from Meaux (Seine-et-Marne), at 22, won her fourth continental medal, after having already won gold, in 2017, on her favorite apparatus. She is ahead of the Italian Asia D’Amato (13.600) and the Belgian Elisa Vaelen (13.583).

At the head of the qualifications, the Frenchwoman ensured her final with seriousness, but without losing any of her facetious pout. Arrived in sock tap dance, a big smile on her lips, for the presentation, the dynamic young woman of 1.48 meters has made for her first flight a moon with a twist and a half, body tense. A jump credited with the score of 14.300 points despite a fault at the reception, at the limit of the red zone (synonymous with penalty).

For her second run, she bet on what she knew how to do, without forcing her talent. The young woman, who had initially planned a double twist, will be satisfied with a yurchenko matched with a single twist (13.300). Enough to secure the gold. ” I opted for the strategy of doing just one twist, you don’t need to do both today to win the title. I tell myself that I still have room for the future, and it’s a great feeling, “ she rejoiced at the microphone of France Télévisions at the end of the competition.

A pure jumping specialist

It must be said that Coline Devillard sees further: not selected for the Olympic Games (OG) in Tokyo, she dreams of shining in Paris, in the summer of 2024. Her status as a jumping hyper-specialist has sometimes played tricks on her. Less hegemonic in the all-around, she had never taken part in the Worlds before those in Liverpool (United Kingdom), six months ago, despite her continental medals.

To change the situation, the young woman has redoubled her work this season and has joined the services of former hurdler Ladji Doucouré to take advantage of her power and speed abilities. His dynamism on take-off and his height of figure this Saturday, much higher than that of his opponents, notably enabled him to grab precious points. The Frenchwoman was also able to count on the poor performance of the Italian Asia D’Amato, back from injury, and completely out on her second jump.

Coline Devillard confirms her current good form, after winning two World Cup stages, in Doha (Qatar) and Baku (Azerbaijan), in March. On November 5, 2022, in Liverpool, she finished third in the jump, bringing the French women’s team their first world medal in thirteen years.

“I am really happy to have assumed my status. After the World Championships and my World Cup results, it was stressing me out.”, slipped the interested party after her victory. The title of maturity, for the one who has become one of the headliners of the Gymnastics Blues.

Earlier in the day, his compatriots Benjamin Osberger and Lucas Desanges had to settle for fifth and seventh places in the men’s floor final, won by Englishman Luke Whitehouse.