Eva Serrano (born 22 April 1978 in
Nîmes
Nîmes ( , ; oc, Nimes ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the prefecture of the Gard department in the Occitanie region of Southern France. Located between the Mediterranean Sea and Cévennes, the commune of Nîmes has an estimated population of 148,5 ...
) is a French former individual
rhythmic gymnast
Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, flexible, agile, dexterous and coordi ...
. She was the
1999 European All-around bronze medalist and is France's most decorated and successful rhythmic gymnast. She is also a 6-time
French National All-around champion.
Career
Serrano's international career spanned eight years and competed in two Olympic cycles. She started rhythmic gymnastics at age seven.
She made her career breakthrough in 1997, winning France's first
European Championship medals (bronze with rope and ribbon), she repeated her success winning two bronze medals (hoop, ribbon) at the
1997 World Championships. She won the All-around bronze medal at the
1999 European Championships.
She ranked 19th, 7th, 9th, 7th, 4th in All-around finals at the 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999
World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
.
At the
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
in Atlanta, she placed 7th in qualifications, 8th in the semi-final round and placed 6th in the finals. She went to compete in her second Olympics in
2000 Sydney she placed 4th in qualifications and finished 5th in the finals, the highest placement for a non-Eastern European gymnast since
Carolina Pascual, Carmen Acedo and Maisa Lloret.
Serrano's final competition was the Zenith Tournament in Paris in December 2000, where she won three gold medals. The Zenith event also served as a tribute as she announced her retirement.
She was elected to sit as president on the FIG Athletes' Commission for rhythmic gymnastics. She now has a son named Oihan.
References
External links
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1978 births
Living people
French rhythmic gymnasts
Olympic gymnasts for France
Gymnasts at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships
Sportspeople from Nîmes
Universiade medalists in gymnastics
FISU World University Games gold medalists for France
Universiade bronze medalists for France
Medalists at the 1997 Summer Universiade
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