Cecile Canqueteau-Landi is returning to the World Championships, but this time, she will be coaching Team Mexico. After helping Georgia’s GymDogs return to the NCAA Championships, Simone Biles’ former coach is stepping back onto the international stage, bringing her elite-level experience to a new challenge.
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The French former Olympian has spent the past two seasons rebuilding Georgia’s program before becoming its head coach in April 2026. Now, with Georgia freshman Jazmyn Jimenez also representing Mexico at the 2026 World Championships, Landi’s return connects her collegiate journey with the elite gymnastics world once again.
Landi’s journey back to the international stage comes after years of working alongside her husband, Laurent Landi, at the World Champions Centre in Texas. Together, they helped Biles and Jordan Chiles reach the past two Olympic Games, with Biles capturing three gold medals at Paris 2024.
Their work also helped develop numerous national-team gymnasts, including Alyssa Baumann, Katelyn Ohashi, and many more, establishing the couple as trusted figures in American gymnastics.
But Landi’s influence extended beyond medal counts. She was present when Biles withdrew from the team final at Tokyo 2020 because of the twisties, and she witnessed the gymnast return to claim bronze on balance beam. Three years later, she stood alongside Biles again in Paris as the American star added three more Olympic gold medals to her collection.
Simone Biles calls it an honor to be coached by someone like Cecile Landi
Biles has repeatedly acknowledged what that support has meant to her. In September 2024, after USA Gymnastics praised Landi’s contribution to the Olympic team, Biles shared the post on Instagram Stories with one emphatic word: “QUEEEEEEEN.”
Later that year, the Olympic champion shared a photograph with Landi and U.S. gymnastics team physician Dr. Marcia Faustin, thanking both women for helping her through the season. “before the year ends, I wanna highlight these 2 ladies,” Biles wrote. “thanks for keeping me sane this year and making sure I never gave up on my dreams 💗much love.”
Landi has also credited Biles with changing her understanding of athletes’ mental health. “Simone opened my eyes, and I think everyone’s eyes [to the importance of mental health in sports],” she said. The experience helped her recognize how important it was for gymnasts to feel comfortable asking for help.
“I don’t think anyone felt ashamed of telling me on my team, ‘I don’t feel right, I need help’,” she added. “So, I thank Simone for that.”
At Georgia, Landi applied this lesson by creating an environment where gymnasts felt safe reporting injuries and mental struggles without stigma. When she joined the program in 2024, she inherited a team that had struggled to compete with the country’s best. She expected the rebuilding process to take several years, but the GymDogs reached the 2026 NCAA Championships ahead of schedule, ending a seven-year absence.
Georgia finished the season ranked sixth nationally, its best result since 2016. That progress also paved the way for Landi to take charge as head coach after Ryan Roberts left for Auburn.
Meanwhile, Laurent is preparing to join his wife in Georgia as associate head coach for the 2026–27 season. The university announced his appointment in May, marking his first collegiate coaching role after years of working with elite gymnasts.
Cecile had sensed that the move was coming. “Seeing him at every home meet becoming more and more invested, I had a feeling he would eventually want to join me in helping bring this program back to the top,” she said.
Now, Cecile is returning to the international stage with Team Mexico. His husband, Laurent Landi, has been working as a coaching consultant for the Mexican and French national teams since Paris.
Her new assignment marks another chapter in a career that has moved between Olympic competition, elite coaching, and the demands of collegiate gymnastics.
Biles’ admiration for her former coach remains strong. In October 2025, she celebrated Landi’s birthday with a heartfelt message, writing, “to be coached by her was an honor!!!” She has also described the Landis as mentors who helped her grow both inside and outside the gym.
As Landi coaches Mexico at the 2026 World Championships, that influence remains part of her story. Georgia has given her a new challenge, but her return confirms that her connection to elite international gymnastics is far from over.