Émilie Lepennec

Émilie Le Pennec
Le Pennec in 2005
Personal information
Country represented	France
Born	(1987-12-31) 31 December 1987 (age 29) Paris
Residence	Paris, France
Height	151 cm (4.95 ft)
Discipline	Women's artistic gymnastics
Level	Senior International Elite
Head coach(es)	Yves Kieffer & Marjorie Hoels
Retired	2007
Medal record Women's gymnastics Representing  France Olympic Games 2004 Athens Uneven bars European Championships 2005 Debrecen Uneven bars 2005 Debrecen Floor exercise Mediterranean Games 2005 Almería Team 2005 Almería Floor exercise 2005 Almería Balance beam

Émilie Le Pennec (born 31 December 1987 in La Garenne-Colombes, Hauts-de-Seine) is a retired French artistic gymnast. Le Pennec was the 2004 Olympic Champion on the uneven bars and was the first female French gymnast to win an Olympic medal in women's artistic gymnastics.

Coached by Yves Kieffer at Pôle France INSEP in Paris, Le Pennec was the French junior national champion in 2002. At her first senior nationals in 2003, she placed fifth, but won a silver medal on her specialty, the uneven bars. She represented France at the 2002 Junior European Championships, where she won a bronze medal in the team event. At the 2003 World Gymnastics Championships, Le Pennec was a member of the 10th-place French team. She also qualified for the all-around and the floor exercise finals, where she finished 11th and seventh, respectively.

At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Le Pennec placed sixth with the French team and 14th in the all-around final. However, she shone in the uneven bars event final, where her challenging routine helped her win a gold medal over a tough field with numerous Olympic and world champions, including Svetlana Khorkina (who took an infamous fall from the apparatus, which she traditionally dominated) and 2002 World Champion Courtney Kupets. Her medal marked the first ever for a French female gymnast.

Le Pennec continued to train and compete after the Olympics. In 2005, she earned two medals at the European Championships: the gold on the uneven bars and a bronze on the floor. She was also qualified to the all-around finals in first place, but lost any chance for a medal when she fell during her balance beam routine. Le Pennec also competed in the 2005 World Championships in Melbourne, but mistakes prevented her from medalling.