Rhythmic gymnast Emmanouela Frroku has officially wrapped up her first ever Olympic Games, missing out on the podium but completing a remarkable achievement.
The young athlete, who was Australia’s youngest gymnast for the Paris Games, featured in the Women’s rhythmic group all-around event with her team as they finished in 11th place and were three spots away from qualifying for the final.
Emmanouela, who celebrated her 17th birthday in Paris, featured with teammates Phoebe Learmont, Saskia Broedelet, Jessica Weintraub, and Lidiia Iakovleva in what was Australia’s second ever Rhythmic group.
The team scored 58.450 from their two rounds, finishing 3.500 away from eighth-placed Azerbaijan to miss out on the final.
They made history in the process as they eclipsed Australia’s placement in their maiden appearance in this event at the Tokyo Olympics, where they finished 14th.
The Games also marked an unbelievable achievement for the young gymnast, who migrated to Australia with her family in 2016, having completed her dream of competing in the Olympics while still in school.
“It was almost an out-of-body experience; one minute we were out the back getting ready and then we were on the floor competing,” Emmanouela said following their performance in a report on the Australian Olympic Committee website.
The fact Emmanouela even qualified (16 years old at the time) surprised many around her, with her mother Athanasia having told Neos Kosmos before the tournament that many people were looking towards the 2028 Olympics.
The young gymnast will no doubt have taken plenty of confidence from qualifying from Paris, which would have provided her an excellent bit of experience.
Her sights will no doubt be set on ensuring a place at the next Games in Los Angeles and attaining an even more impressive result.
