Antibes hosted on May 6-7, 2006, the French Championships in trampoline, tumbling, and acrobatic gymnastics.  The event took place at the Jean Bunoz arena, well known for hosting many trampoline events including the 1995 European Championships and a World Cup event in 1998.  The 2006 French Championships reserved some surprises. The competition took place just 2 weeks before the kick off of the 20th European Championships to be held in Metz from May 22 through May 28, 2006. 

In the men's trampoline event, Gregoire Pennes (Bois Colombes), who had qualified for the final in 1st place, became the new French Champion, disposing of the favorites David Martin and Mickael Jala.  The trampolinist with dreadlocks delivered a solid routine that scored 40.20 pts, thanks to a 15.60 pt difficulty that featured only one triffis.  This great performance by Pennes also rewards all the efforts he made to come back from a very serious knee injury he suffered 18 months ago, where he injured both knees during a camp in Rennes.  After a long reeducation, he resumed training in August 2005, just in time to make the team for the World Championships.  After several silver medals at French Championships, Pennes finally reached the top step of the podium.  In addition, Pennes won the synchro gold medal, paired with his long time synchro partner Sebastien Martiny. 

2004 and 2005 reigning French Champion Mickael Jala (Sevran) had to settle for the silver medal, although it was not without a fight.  Jala delivered a very powerful routine that scored 39.50 pts (15.80 pt tariff).  Despite losing, Jala showed that he was in great form like he did last month where he won the French Cup and barely missed the qualification for the final of the Ghent World Cup.  Sebastien Martiny (Bois Colombes - pictured on the left) took the bronze medal just 0.10 pts shy of Jala with 39.40 pts (15.60 pt tariff).  Former European Youth Champion Sebastien Laifa (La Seyne) took the 4th place a little further behind with 38.80 pts (15.20 pt routine).  Laifa, not Martiny, will compete in individual at the upcoming European Championships. 

Former European Youth silver medalist Renaud Victor took the 5th place with 36.20 pts as he is still battling a loss of skills.  Mickael Gombauld took the 6th place.  The disappointment of the final came from David Martin (Levallois), a former Antibes athlete, who could not complete his routine, seemingly getting a little lost in his 6th move.  The former European Champion and World Cup Final winner had qualified for the final in 2nd place behind Pennes. 

In the women's individual event, Aurelie Gratay (Cannes - pictured on the right) deservedly became 2006 French Champion with 34.60 pts, performing a 12.10 pt routine in the final.  Her task was made easier by the fact that European silver medalist Marina Ducroux was eliminated in the preliminaries.  Ducroux was ranked 8th French athlete of the preliminaries after falling while attempting to compete a 12.90 pt optional.  But Ducroux was ranked 9th overall due to Belgian Bieke Decavel's participation.  Counterintuitively, Belgian athletes are allowed to compete in the French Championships and are assimilated to French athletes rather than guests for all purposes, except that they cannot receive medals.

Emilie Duclay (Nevers) took the silver medal with 31.70 pts, edging Laetitia Hauwelle (Sevran), who obtained 31.20 pts (12.20 pt tariff).  Hauwelle unfortunately fell on her back and the pads at the end of her routine.  2005 French Champion Camille Dru (Montigny) finished 4th with 30.80 pts (11.90 pt tariff) also falling on the pads at the end of her routine, and Julie Perreten (Sevran) took the 6th place with 30.50 pts.  In synchro, Julie Perreten and Laetitia Hauwelle prevailed while Joelle Vallez and Marjorie Julien won the silver. 

In the junior category, Matteo Campus (Voiron) created a little surprise by beating Thomas Lacombe (Le Pecq) 36.90 pts (13.60 pt tariff) to 36.30 pts (14.60 pts).  Lorris Bailet (Cannes) took the bronze medal with 35.10 pts.  They were followed by a close bunch made of Cyril Gombauld, Loic Dumaitre, and Jimmy Raymond.  In the women's junior competition, Marine Latour (Antibes) prevailed with 32.20 pts (9.80 pt tariff).  Belgian Valerie Vanmellaerts obtained the same score (10.80 pt tariff) as Latour.  Cecile Benazeth (Mazamet) took the silver medal and Virginie Masse (Bois Colombes) the bronze medal.  Solenn Bardy (Antibes), the 11-year-old daughter of French head coach Franck Bardy won the gold medal in the "Avenir" age group. 

Morgan Sauton (Les Clayes sous Bois - pictured on the right) caused a major upset in the men's tumbling event, beating favorites 2002 European silver medalist Yves Tarin (Chenove) and 2001 World silver medalist Nicolas Fournials (Albi).  Sauton won with a score of 68.80 pts.  Sauton will compete for France along with Tarin and Fournials at the upcoming European Championships.  Tarin had to settle for the silver after rolling on his back after his final landing and scoring 66.40 pts.  Former Algerian International Yahia Icheboudene (Boissy St Leger) took the bronze medal with 65.80 pts.  Fournials could not do better than a 5th place with 64.30 pts, one spot behind Julien Coudert, a teammate of Sauton. 

In the women's tumbling event, Marion Limbach (Rennes - pictured on the left) obtained her ticket for the Metz European Championships by successfully defending her French Champion title from the attacks of Elisa Faure and Delphine Francois, both from Melun.  Limbach obtained a score of 64.20 pts, whereas Faure and Francois respectively obtained 57.70 pts and 57.00 pts, both missing one of their two final landings.  All three will be joined in Metz by Melanie Avisse, who did not compete in Antibes. 

In acrobatic gymnastics, the trio Celia Bardy, Aude Paris, and Magalie Van Echelpoel (Antibes) won the women's group elite competition.  The mixed pair event was taken over by Yannis Odru and Lucile Patin (Rennes), whereas Tiffany Junqua-Olivia Bardy (Antibes) and Pierre-Jean Gamard-Nicolas Giraudon (Talence) respectively won the women's pair and men's pair events.  Overall, the three Bardy daughters won a gold medal. 

Thanks to Michel Bontemps and Gabriel Souclier for their extensive coverage of the event on-site and the fantastic job they did.  Thanks also to Damien Dorna for the French version of this article. 

Link to our French article with many videos interviews and photos

Link to all our videos of the event

Link to a detailed report by Robert Ducroux (in French) for AcrobaticSports

Link to the detailed results

Link to the website of the Olympique Antibes Juan les Pins

Link to other source

Link to Nice Premiere article with many pictures

Link to other Nice Premiere article

Link to other tumbling pictures

Link to other tumbling videos

Link to other pictures