French gymnast wins bronze in Rotterdam

French gymnast Maïana Prat won the bronze medal in the floor exercise event at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships on Sunday in Rotterdam. She was narrowly beaten by American gymnasts Claire Pease and Reese Esponda, who took gold and silver respectively.

First French medal of the week

This bronze medal is the first for a French athlete at this year’s championships. It is also the seventh individual world medal for a French gymnast, with the previous one being the bronze won by Coline Devillard in the vault at the 2022 World Championships in Liverpool.

Promising future for French gymnastics

The medal marks a strong performance for French gymnastics ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Prat and her teammates had placed fourth in the team all-around competition on Wednesday, while another rising star, Elena Colas, finished fourth in the asymmetric bars and balance beam events this weekend.

Young French gymnasts gaining recognition

Prat and Colas have been rising stars in recent years. In 2025, they won the team gold medal at the World Junior Championships, a first for France. In their first season as seniors, they placed France third at the European Championships last summer in Zagreb, where Colas won gold on the balance beam.

Algerian gymnast with French roots

On Sunday, Algerian gymnast Kaylia Nemour won her second gold medal of the week on the balance beam. Nemour, who was born in France, changed her sports nationality in July 2022 after a dispute with the French Federation.

Prat’s impressive final performance

Despite finishing seventh in the qualifications on the floor last weekend, Prat delivered a strong performance in the final. She scored 14.466 points, the same as British gymnast Abigail Martin, but won the bronze due to a higher execution score awarded by the judges.

Continuing success for French gymnasts

Prat’s bronze medal is her first international podium, one year after helping the French team win the junior team world championship alongside Elena Colas. This achievement ends a four-year wait since the last French medal at the World Championships, won by Coline Devillard in the vault event in 2022.

Looking ahead to the Olympics

These results are seen as a positive sign for French gymnastics as they prepare for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. With just under two years until the Games, the French team is working to build momentum after a long wait for an Olympic podium since 2004.