Francesca Benolli (born 26 August 1989 in
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...
) is an Italian
artistic gymnast
Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics in which athletes perform short routines on different apparatuses. The sport is governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), which designs the Code of Points and regulates ...
who competed at her first international competition in 2003.
As a junior gymnast, Benolli was part of the Italian team which won a bronze medal at the 2004 Junior European Championships in Amsterdam. In 2005, Benolli became age eligible for Senior competition and made an immediate impact, winning the 2005 European Vault title at just fifteen as well as respectable fifth-place finishes in both the All Around and Floor exercise finals.
However, Benolli suffered serious injury after this competition, missing both the 2005 and 2006 World Championships. She came back in 2007 and was a member of the Italian team which placed in the top 12 at the World Championships, qualifying them to the 2008 Olympics. In 2008, Benolli won a bronze medal on vault at Europeans and was a member of the Italian team in Beijing.
External links
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1989 births
Living people
Italian female artistic gymnasts
Gymnasts at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Olympic gymnasts for Italy
European champions in gymnastics
21st-century Italian women
Sportspeople from Trieste
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