In its essence, life is never a level playing field for all. Sometimes it just throws up a curve that derails the paths. A two-time Olympian, four-time European champion, and France’s artistic gymnastics star faced a similar fate. Not only on beams and floor, she has long been a force in the gym, training alongside the legendary Simone Biles at the World Champions Centre (WCC) in Texas, a state-of-the-art facility owned by Biles’ parents.

The WCC, home to elite gymnasts like Jordan Chiles, is where Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos honed her skills under coaches Cecile and Laurent Landi, chasing Olympic dreams. Yet, as the Paris 2024 Olympics approached, the 24-year-old faced a storm within. What could shake an athlete of her caliber?

In a raw, emotional short documentary, Golden Soul, released on June 27, 2025, Mélanie bared her soul about the crushing pressure of competing on home soil. “Just before the games, my brain stopped responding,” she confessed, her voice heavy with vulnerability. “I only had my legs left to do the gymnastics.” This stark admission revealed a mental block that left her feeling detached, her mind unable to sync with her body during critical moments. The Paris Games, where she hoped to shine, unraveled as France failed to qualify for any finals, marred by her fall on uneven bars and errors in three of four routines. How does an athlete process such a setback?

“I’m still just as disappointed in myself,” Mélanie admitted, capturing the sting of falling short in front of her nation. Yet, she showed a flicker of growth, adding, “but I manage to be a little nicer with me.” This shift toward self-compassion echoes the mental health advocacy championed by her training partner, Simone Biles, who faced her own battles in Tokyo 2020. Mélanie’s struggle wasn’t just physical, she wrestled with doubt, questioning her future. “It’s hard to know if I’m okay and that it will be okay after, or let me sink because it went wrong,” she said, voicing the uncertainty that haunts athletes post-failure. Could she find a path forward?

After Paris, Mélanie stepped away, undergoing wrist surgery and retreating to Martinique to reconnect with her roots. Joining Biles’ Gold Over America Tour offered a chance to rediscover joy in gymnastics. Her story, raw and real, reminds us of the human behind the athlete. Will she return to her routines, or has Paris changed her forever? Well, lets hear her out.

Melanie de Jesus dos Santos’ journey beyond Paris

Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos, the French gymnastics star and Simone Biles’ training partner at the World Champions Centre, is at a crossroads after the Paris 2024 Olympics. Her retreat to Martinique brought more than emotional solace, it included surgery to mend a lingering wrist injury. The physical healing, paired with time away from the gym, has given her space to ponder her next steps. What does the future hold for this two-time Olympian?

The emotional scars from Paris, where France failed to reach any finals, linger. Yet, Mélanie’s resolve shines through. “I don’t think I’m ready yet to say I’m ending my career,” she shared in a candid interview, “but I’m not ready either to say officially that I’m coming back for this or that competition.” Her words reflect a delicate balance, unwilling to let the Paris disappointment define her, but uncertain about elite competition. The sacrifices she’s made fuel her determination not to end on a low note. “I’m not ending on what happened at the Games,” she declared firmly. Can she rediscover her passion?

Mélanie’s love for gymnastics remains, but her goals have shifted. “If I come back to gymnastics, it will be to enjoy it and to prove to myself that I’m capable of doing beautiful things,” she said. Without a specific competition in sight, she envisions a return to training at her home club in Martinique, focusing on joy rather than pressure. “I miss gymnastics, yes. But will I return to high-level competition? I don’t know,” she admitted. Her time on Simone Biles’ Gold Over America Tour hinted at a path to rediscovery. Will she step back into the spotlight or find peace in a quieter return?