Born in
Nantes, France, Abitbol began skating at the age of six, choosing skating over swimming. She initially took lessons and practiced in that area. In 1992, at the age of 17, she teamed up with
Stéphane Bernadis to compete in pair skating. Abitbol/Bernadis were coached by Jean-Roland Racle early in their career, followed by
Stanislav Leonovich in Paris. At the
2000 World Championships in
Nice, France, Bernadis said he was attacked by an unknown assailant with a razor on 28 March when he opened his hotel room door. He suffered an eight-inch cut down his left forearm. Bernadis said he had received a death threat three weeks earlier. At the event, he and Abitbol won the bronze medal, becoming the first French pair skaters to win a World medal since
1932, when
Andrée Brunet /
Pierre Brunet won gold in this competition. When Bernadis became injured after performing the short program, the pair had to withdraw from the 2001 World Championships. They qualified for the 2002 Olympics by winning the 2001
Golden Spin of Zagreb. Abitbol/Bernadis withdrew from the 2002 Olympics after Abitbol's
Achilles tendon ruptured in practice; she underwent surgery and was off the ice for six months. After the
2003 European Championships, the pair changed coaches, moving to
Jean-Christophe Simond. Abitbol/Bernadis worked on
throw triple
Axels. == Personal life==