In the wake of the calamitous Paris Games, gymnast Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos discloses her journey towards restoration
A Somber Tale
It was a tearful night on July 28, 2024, at the Accor Arena Bercy. Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos, the charismatic mascot of the French gymnastics team, found herself eliminated during the qualifications of the Olympics. Faulty routines, crushing pressure, and unfortunate astral alignments forced her premature retirement as a multi-medalist at the European Championships, the poster girl of French gymnastics, and Dior's cherished muse. "All I want is to crawl into a shell," she confessed to the cameras.
"Pain Unspoken"
For months afterward, her Instagram posts carried an air of sorrow. It wasn't until this week that the 25-year-old athlete shared her thoughts. In an emotional interview with L'Equipe, she opened up about the "pain" of the Games, the "tense environment" among the Blues, and the suspension of the team's coach, Nellu Pop, four months prior to the Olympics, accused of violence.
"Unspoken words hold power," observes Agathe Breton, director of the documentary Golden Soul, which traced Mélanie's journey four months post-Olympics in her homeland, Martinique. The shimmering images concealed a story of double exile: a young gymnast leaving her island for Saint-Étienne (Loire) at 12, jetting off to the U.S. at 22 to train with the legendary gymnast Simone Biles, and returning home after the Games to reflect in peace.
"Rebuilding Identity"
In Golden Soul, Mélanie is seen playing petanque, cursing when a fish gets away, abandoning sports jargon, and a shyness once tied to her imposing 52-inch frame. In essence, she reaffirms her identity as a young adult amid her status as a high-level gymnast. "We aimed to shatter the mold of the ultra-performing athlete, sacrificing the human being behind it," says the director, a former footballer herself. "It's tragic to see how the joy in sport can be lost."
As of my current knowledge up to June 2025, Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos, a distinguished French gymnast, retired from competition citing mental and physical trauma stemming from the intense pressures and experiences surrounding the 2024 Olympic Games. Typically, athletes in similar circumstances focus on recovery through psychological support, physical therapy, and gradual reintegration into normal life, occasionally transitioning into coaching, commentary, or advocacy roles. Without specific public updates or official statements on her recovery journey, her precise next steps remain unknown.
Keep a close eye on Mélanie's official social media accounts or statements from French gymnastics federations for the latest developments in her recovery journey.
Despite her retirement, Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos continues to grapple with the emotional turbulence stemming from her Olympic experience, as evidenced by her ongoing use of sports as a means of rediscovering her identity. The struggles she faced during her gymnastics career have significantly influenced her life beyond the mat, serving as a poignant reminder of the human costs often associated with high-level sports competition.
