The Fiera di Rimini was adorned with the blue-white-red flag this Friday evening! The day after the Italian double in the senior all-around competition, at home, this time it was the French team which shone among the juniors, also placing two gymnasts on the podium. Elena Colas, who has just celebrated her 14th birthday, won, with a total of 53.265 points and despite a fall on the balance beam. A first since 1993.
Her teammate Maïana Prat (50.899 points) won the bronze medal, just behind the Italian Giulia Perotti, second with 52.498 points. “I was really super happy (after the floor, her last event), smiles Elena Colas. I knew my grade mattered to the team. Before the competition, I told myself that I knew what I had to do, I tried to put as little pressure on myself as possible. »
Above all, the Bleuettes are also crowned by teams thanks to a total of 155,763 points. They are ahead of Italy (153.527 points) and Belgium (148.662 points). “It represents all the work we have done together, our cohesion, our strength,” added Elena Colas. I’m really proud of us. I’m on a little cloud. »
[GAF – CHAMPIONNAT D’EUROPE 📍 Rimini 🇮🇹]
7 FINALS FOR AGRES
Elena Colas qualifies for 3 of the 4 possible finals: 1st on vault and bars and 3rd on floor. Lola Chassat will also participate in the bars final (3rd), Maïana Prat in the beam final (2nd) and Perla… pic.twitter.com/xEpNrkRBiZ— French Gymnastics Federation (@ffgymnastic) May 3, 2024
“On a little cloud”
“We had cut off all our social networks at the start of the day, we didn’t want to know what the others were doing, especially the Italians,” added her teammates. We really wanted to stay focused on ourselves and our work. When we saw that we were winning, we felt lots of emotions, we started to have little tears flowing. It’s very beautiful. »
Thanks to their performances today, they also qualified for seven apparatus finals, which will take place on Sunday. Elena Colas will be to follow on vault, floor and bars, Maïana Prat on beam and Perla Denechère on beam and floor (4th).
Their elders, who will participate tomorrow in their individual apparatus finals, were rested this Friday but did not miss anything from the performance of their teammates. “INCREDIBLEEEEEEEEEEE”, wrote Marine Boyer on her X account at the end of the day, before adding “Bravo girls”. “They are FANTASTIC,” Lorette Charpy said after her. They will try to imitate them this Sunday during the final of the senior team competition.
