“I’m mainly working on my mind”, “I’m going to be ready” for the Paris Olympic Games, assured AFP the 23-year-old French gymnast Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos, who has a chance of a podium finish.
The four-time European champion and world team bronze medalist spoke at the Simone Biles World Champions Center (WCC), which she joined in 2022, and where she welcomes the French gymnastics team for an internship from February 11 to 18.
What welcome did you give your French teammates here in Texas? “I am very happy to see all the girls here in the room where I have been training for almost two years now. It feels good to find this collective again. Since I’ve been in the United States I’m not necessarily on the team all the time so it’s been good to train with the girls. But it’s not hard to train a little away from the team, it’s me who made this choice, I feel very good here.
What does the daily presence of Simone Biles mean? “Training with Simone every day is something extraordinary, because she is the best gymnast in the world. I learn a lot of things, and training with her is a real pleasure because she is often in a good mood, she is a very simple person. We communicate easily with her, it’s very pleasant to train with her.”
What did your expatriation to the United States bring you? “Finding myself in a country I didn’t know, adapting to the culture, discovering something else. It gives me a lot of information on technique, I relearn gymnastics with my trainers. This is what I came to look for, to be a new gymnast, not to change everything but to learn things. It’s something that will follow me all my life. If I ever coach in the future, it’s something that I will also bring, to Martinique for example (where she is from, editor’s note). It makes me feel good to see something else, I think it helps me a lot mentally.”
Where are you mentally? “There are elements that weaken my mind but I feel stronger than before. I work every day with a “mental preparation”, but there is still work to be done. I’ll be ready.”
How much do you think about the Games? “The Olympics are approaching, but I tell myself that I still have time to refine my movements, to be even better in my head and to take the time to work hard to arrive ready for these Paris Games. It will be at home, I want to do something good. The most important thing for me is to enjoy these Games and to be proud of myself at the end.”
What do you think about the opportunity to compete in Paris? “The fact that the Games are in Paris, we are at home, there will be good pressure. We are lucky to know the Games hall, we have already had several competitions in this hall, that is a plus. I think we will feel good, but there will be a little more pressure than the other nations. The French expect a lot from us, we will want to do well for our public, for us too, to show that we are there.
What did the world bronze medal in the team competition won in Antwerp in October bring you? “We really needed this medal in Antwerp. It’s something that gives us a boost for the Games, we gain confidence. We needed it because we had often missed it. We always knew we could win a medal, but we had to play the perfect match and each time we had small mistakes. It had to happen because we work a lot for it, it’s very deserved.”
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