Sophiane Méthot from Varennes, Quebec, proudly displays her bronze medal after earning 55.650 points for her routine in the women's trampoline final at the Paris Olympics on Friday. Getty Images
Canadian gymnast Sophiane Méthot is celebrating her 26th birthday a bit early this year, and she's doing it with a shiny new Olympic bronze medal. Méthot, who hails from Varennes, Quebec, made a stunning debut at the Paris Olympics by clinching third place in the women's trampoline final.
Competing at the Bercy Arena on Friday, Méthot scored 55.650 points, a performance that marks Canada's first trampoline medal in twelve years. Her achievement also stands as the eighth Olympic trampoline medal for Canada since the sport’s debut in the Games in 2000. Her bronze win comes on the heels of a strong performance at a World Cup event in Portugal last month, which helped boost her confidence.
Mélanie’s routine in the final was remarkable, especially given that she entered the event ranked eighth. Despite a less-than-perfect qualification round, she managed to deliver when it counted. “It wasn’t my best performance in qualifications, but [the final performance] was really a performance on demand,” Méthot said. “I practised it thousands of times, so I knew that I was really producing something solid. I had to do it at the right time. That’s exactly what I did.”
Retired gymnast Kyle Shewfelt, who won gold in the floor exercise at the 2004 Athens Olympics, praised Méthot’s performance. “That was fantastic… a total home run for [her] coming into this final ranked in eighth position,” said Shewfelt. “There was a plan [with Méthot and her coach]: get into the final and then give it your everything.”
Shewfelt noted that Méthot had been in a great mental space coming off her World Cup success and was well-prepared for the Olympic final. “Look at that execution. Those knees are glued together. She was so centred during this routine,” he added.
Mélanie’s impressive finish came just ahead of the final gymnast, Yicheng Hu from China, who faltered in her routine, leading to Méthot securing her spot on the podium. Bryony Page of Great Britain won the gold medal with a score of 56.480, while Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya from Belarus took the silver with 56.060 points. Zhu Xueying, the 2021 Tokyo Olympic gold medalist, finished fourth.
Mélanie’s performance was guided by the mentorship of Rosie MacLennan, a Canadian trampoline legend who won gold in London 2012 and Rio 2016. MacLennan’s insights were invaluable as Méthot navigated her Olympic journey. “Rosie told her the process leading up [to the Olympics] was not going to be perfect, but that she would be able to deliver if she trusted herself and her training,” said Shewfelt.
Mélanie’s road to the Olympics had its challenges. She was an alternate for the Tokyo 2020 Games due to an injury but made a strong comeback, placing fifth at the world championships last year. This performance earned Canada an Olympic quota spot for trampoline.
With her remarkable achievement, Méthot has shown tremendous courage and determination. Her medal adds to Canada's rich history in trampoline and signifies her remarkable growth as an athlete.
