Elvire Teza

Last updated
Elvire Teza
Elvire Teza.jpg
Personal information
Born (1981-03-29) March 29, 1981 (age 44)
La Réunion
Gymnastics career
Discipline Women's artistic gymnastics
Country representedFlag of France.svg  France

Elvire Teza (born March 29, 1981) is a retired French gymnast who competed at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics. She was the French National Champion in gymnastics in 1997, 1999 and 2000.

Contents

Career

Born on the island of Reunion, Teza trained in Marseille under coaches Shi Mao, Lin Xuan and Ma Jun. She made her international debut at the age of thirteen at the Junior European Championships, where she won bronze medals on the balance beam and floor exercise. At the 1996 Junior Europeans, she improved on these results, winning a gold medal on the uneven bars and silver medals with the French team and the beam final. In 1997, Teza became the first (and to date, the only) French gymnast to win the American Cup.

Teza competed at three World Gymnastics Championships, in 1995, 1997 (where she placed 6th on balance beam in event finals) and 1999. She also represented France at the Olympics twice; at the 1996 Games in Atlanta and the 2000 Games in Sydney. In Sydney, Teza became the first French female gymnast ever to qualify for an Olympic event final, placing eighth on the uneven bars.

Teza's beam and bars routines typically combined artistry with extreme difficulty. On the balance beam (coincidentally, an event she was said to dislike) Teza developed two original skills: a full twisting Yurchenko loop to back hip circle and a sideways Yang Bo jump. Both elements are named after her in the Code of Points and are classified as high-difficulty skills ( both are E level skills under the code of points in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 periods). On the uneven bars she performed intricate work with German giant swings rarely seen in competition and two of those moves are named after her as well, which are the German giant variations of Pak salto and Bail to Handstand, both are D level skills under the code of points since 2000. Teza's tumbling and vaulting were considered relatively weak compared to her other events, however, on floor exercise she was known for presenting routines with expressive choreography and excellent dance elements.

Teza retired after the 2000 Olympics to pursue her education.

Eponymous skills

Teza has three eponymous skills listed in the Code of Points. [1] [2]

ApparatusNameDescription Difficulty [a]
Uneven barsTezaCircle swing to straight salto backwards between barsE (0.5)
Balance beamTezaYang Bo (split jump with arched back and head back) from side standD (0.4)
Balance beamTezaBack handspring from side stand with full twist to back hip circleE (0.5)
  1. Valid for the 2025–2028 Code of Points

Competitive history

YearEventTeamAA VT UB BB FX
Junior
1994
Junior European Championships 67Bronze medal icon.svg6
Senior
1995China Cup6
French Championships4
French International546
Massilia CupSilver medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svg
Pre-Olympics9
World Championships 618
1996French InternationalSilver medal icon.svg
World Championships 4
European Championships 4Gold medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svg
Massilia Cup10
Olympic Games 816
1997 Visa American Cup Gold medal icon.svg
French ChampionshipsGold medal icon.svg
Massilia Cup64Silver medal icon.svg
Mediterranean Games Gold medal icon.svgBronze medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svg6
World Championships 5196
1998 Visa American Cup 7
China Cup76Silver medal icon.svg7
European Championships 788
FRA-UKR-ESP Tri-MeetGold medal icon.svg
French InternationalBronze medal icon.svgBronze medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svg
3-on-3 InternationalBronze medal icon.svg
1999Coupe Nationales5
ESP-FRA Dual Meet5
FRA-AUS Dual MeetSilver medal icon.svg
French ChampionshipsSilver medal icon.svg
French International9
Massilia Cup9
Pre-Olympics16
2000Coupe NationalesGold medal icon.svg
FRA-GBR-CAN-GER Quad-MeetGold medal icon.svg
Gymnastics Challenge4
Zenith Tournament5
Olympic Games 88

[3]

References

  1. "2022-2024 Code of Points Women's Artistic Gymnastics" (PDF). International Gymnastics Federation . pp. 208–210. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  2. "Women's Artistic Gymnastics – 2025-2028 Code of Points" (PDF). International Gymnastics Federation . 22 April 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
  3. "Elvire Teza (FRA)". Gymn Forum. 16 January 2005. Retrieved 1 August 2022.

Sources