Émilie Le Pennec
Encyclopedia
Émilie Le Pennec was the first French
gymnast
to win an individual Olympic medal in women's artistic gymnastics
.
Coached by Yves Kieffer at Pôle France INSEP in Paris
, Le Pennec was the French
junior national champion in 2002. At her first senior nationals in 2003, she placed fifth, but won a silver medal on her specialty, the uneven bars. She represented France
at the 2002 junior European Championships, where she won a bronze medal in the team event. At the 2003 World Gymnastics Championships
, Le Pennec was a member of the tenth-place French
team. She also qualified for the all-around and the floor exercise finals, where she finished eleventh and seventh, respectively.
At the 2004 Olympics in Athens
, Le Pennec placed sixth with the French
team and fourteenth in the all-around finals. However, she shone in the uneven bars event final, where her challenging routine helped her win a gold medal over a tough field with numerous Olympic and Worlds bars champions, including Svetlana Khorkina
(who took an infamous fall from the apparatus, which she traditionally dominated) and 2002 World Champion Courtney Kupets
. Her medal marked the first ever for a French
female gymnast.
Le Pennec continued to train and compete after the Olympics. In 2005 she earned two medals at the European Championships: the gold on the uneven bars and a bronze on the floor
. She was also qualified to the all-around finals in first place, but lost any chance for a medal when she fell during her balance beam routine. Emillie also competed in the 2005 World Championships in Melbourne
, but mistakes prevented her from medalling.
One of Le Pennec's competitive uneven bars routine is considered to be one of the most technically difficult in the world. In it, she completed a Def (a Gienger release move with a full twist), an element classified at the top difficulty level, Super-E, in the 2005 Code of Points. Le Pennec also performed a double full out—two back salto
s with a double twist in the second flip.
Le Pennec missed the 2006 European Championships to concentrate on schoolwork. Later, recuperating from an Achilles' tendon injury and acting on the advice of her doctors, she sat out of the 2006 World Championships.
On the 27th of September 2007, she announced via a press release that she had put an end to her career, mainly after failing to retrieve her level after her multiple injuries in 2006-2007, the latest being a talonnade contracted during the Vittel international match in August 2007.
During the 2008 Summer Olympics
, she worked as a consultant for the French
TV Canal+
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
gymnast
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
to win an individual Olympic medal in women's artistic gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics where gymnasts perform short routines on different apparatus, with less time for vaulting . The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique , which designs the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of international elite...
.
Coached by Yves Kieffer at Pôle France INSEP in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Le Pennec was the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
junior national champion in 2002. At her first senior nationals in 2003, she placed fifth, but won a silver medal on her specialty, the uneven bars. She represented France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
at the 2002 junior European Championships, where she won a bronze medal in the team event. At the 2003 World Gymnastics Championships
World Gymnastics Championships
The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique organises World Gymnastics Championships for each of the gymnastic disciplines:...
, Le Pennec was a member of the tenth-place French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
team. She also qualified for the all-around and the floor exercise finals, where she finished eleventh and seventh, respectively.
At the 2004 Olympics in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Le Pennec placed sixth with the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
team and fourteenth in the all-around finals. However, she shone in the uneven bars event final, where her challenging routine helped her win a gold medal over a tough field with numerous Olympic and Worlds bars champions, including Svetlana Khorkina
Svetlana Khorkina
Svetlana Vasilyevna Khorkina is a popular Russian gymnast and seven-time Olympic medalist, who is now a deputy at the Russian State Duma. With an unprecedented nine gold, eight silver, and three bronze World Championships medals, she is one of the most successful female gymnasts of her era and has...
(who took an infamous fall from the apparatus, which she traditionally dominated) and 2002 World Champion Courtney Kupets
Courtney Kupets
Courtney Anne Kupets is an American gymnast. She is best known for her 2003 and 2004 all-around national championships ; her membership on the 2002 and 2003 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and 2004 Olympic teams; and her individual bronze medal on the uneven bars at the 2004...
. Her medal marked the first ever for a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
female gymnast.
Le Pennec continued to train and compete after the Olympics. In 2005 she earned two medals at the European Championships: the gold on the uneven bars and a bronze on the floor
Floor (gymnastics)
In gymnastics, the floor refers to a specially prepared exercise surface, which is considered an apparatus. It is used by both male and female gymnasts. The event in gymnastics performed on floor is called floor exercise. The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring is FX.A spring...
. She was also qualified to the all-around finals in first place, but lost any chance for a medal when she fell during her balance beam routine. Emillie also competed in the 2005 World Championships in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, but mistakes prevented her from medalling.
One of Le Pennec's competitive uneven bars routine is considered to be one of the most technically difficult in the world. In it, she completed a Def (a Gienger release move with a full twist), an element classified at the top difficulty level, Super-E, in the 2005 Code of Points. Le Pennec also performed a double full out—two back salto
Salto
Salto may refer to:*Salto, a Latin word for "to leap/jump", and in gymnastics refers to a somersault* Glasflügel H-101 "Salto" -Organisations:...
s with a double twist in the second flip.
Le Pennec missed the 2006 European Championships to concentrate on schoolwork. Later, recuperating from an Achilles' tendon injury and acting on the advice of her doctors, she sat out of the 2006 World Championships.
On the 27th of September 2007, she announced via a press release that she had put an end to her career, mainly after failing to retrieve her level after her multiple injuries in 2006-2007, the latest being a talonnade contracted during the Vittel international match in August 2007.
During the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, she worked as a consultant for the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
TV Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
.