Earlier this year, artistic gymnast Jake Jarman made his Olympic debut at Paris 2024 for Team GB, making the Team, All-Around, Vault and Floor Finals, coming away with the Bronze medal on Floor, having previously been a travelling reserve at Tokyo 2020. Jake became the 2024 European champion in Rimini, winning Gold on Vault, also winning Silver in the Team event, and he is the current British Floor, Vault and Horizontal Bar champion, and Silver medallist for All-Around and Pommel Horse. In 2023, at the World Championships in Antwerp, Jake became the Vault champion, and at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, he represented Team England, becoming 4x Commonwealth champion after winning Gold in Team, All-Around, Floor and Vault, which led to Jake being the flag bearer at the closing ceremony. Currently, Jake is adapting his routines for the new code of points, in which he has a skill named after him – ‘The Jarman’, and he is aiming to compete at the English, British and European Championships and a World Challenge Cup next year, and hoping to compete at the World Championships. For Jake’s training, he is part of Huntingdon Gymnastics Club, and this year, alongside fellow gymnasts James Hall and Sam Ghinn, he helped develop new sportswear brand SATUS. Catching up with Jake, he talks about coming away with the Bronze medal on Floor at his debut Olympics in Paris this year, becoming European champion in Rimini, being the current British champion for Floor, Vault and Horizontal Bar and his success at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
How did you feel being selected to represent Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, having travelled to Tokyo as a reserve in 2021, and what was it like making your Olympic debut this summer?
To be selected for Paris was a huge dream of mine. Being a reserve in Tokyo was sort of unexpected but it was a huge milestone towards the main goal of being a part of the team. It gave me huge motivation towards Paris.
You won the Bronze medal on Floor, how did you prepare for the Floor final and how was it collecting your medal?
Floor has always been one of my strongest pieces of apparatus but it has also been a struggle when it came to competing. Whenever I competed in a floor final previously, I would make silly mistakes that would cost me a podium finish. Going into the floor final in Paris, I knew I had to change something about the way I competed and prepared. I made sure that I practiced my skills so much that they became second nature and I didn’t need to think about the technicality of the skills too much. Enjoying competing helps take the nerves off a lot. Being on the podium collecting my medal was a blur and felt like a dream come true.
How did you find the experience competing in the Team, All-Around and Vault finals, and how did you stay focused during the Olympics?
The whole Olympic experience was incredible. I couldn’t have asked for a better two weeks. I competed to the best of my ability and enjoyed every moment.
What was it like staying in the athletes village, and attending the closing ceremony?
Staying in the village was great fun. Knowing I was amongst the best athletes in the world is a surreal feeling and quite hard to explain. Being a part of the closing ceremony was amazing! From being a little kid watching an Olympic ceremony, to actually being a part of one is an amazing thing.
Earlier this year, you won Gold on Vault and Silver in the Team event at the European Championships, what did you enjoy most about competing in Rimini and how was your time there?
The best thing about competing at the European Champs is being able to compete with a team that feels more like a family. We spend so much of our lives training together and achieving our dreams together. To see other’s success warms my heart.
You are the current British Floor, Vault and Horizontal Bar champion, and All-Around and Pommel Horse Silver medallist, what are the British Championships like to compete at?
Competing at the British Championships is a massive privilege. It’s an opportunity to compete on a stage that simulates a major championships without the same amount of pressure. It’s always fun to compete at this event and I always look forward to it.
At the 2023 World Championships in Antwerp, you became the World Vault champion, how was this?
Becoming a World champion on vault was incredible, I proved to myself that anything is possible and that my training and way of competing works well for me.
What are some of your favourite memories from being part of Team England at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, which saw you become the Team, All-Around, Floor and Vault champion?
The whole Commonwealth experience was a very important milestone in my career. It was the first competition where I got to experience a world class atmosphere and to be able to experience this at the start of what I consider a breakout year was crucial to my performance and preparation.
What was it like being the England flag bearer for the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony?
Being a flag bearer was a massive honour. It really topped off my whole Commonwealth experience and gave me a huge sense of pride for the country I compete for.
Can you tell us about some of your further gymnastics highlights from your career so far, which have included winning four medals across the European and World Championships in 2022?
One highlight that I think of every now and then is having my own skill in the code of points – The Jarman. It’s the highest rated skill along with two other skills. I feel as though I have cemented my name in the sport and it’s something I am very proud of.
Where does your love of artistic gymnastics come from and how did you get into it?
My love for the sport comes from the friends that I have met along the way and my family that have supported me along this journey. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Have you been given any advice over your time as an artistic gymnast so far that has stuck with you, and did you have any favourite gymnasts to watch when growing up?
I think the best advice that I have had would be to enjoy the journey and not be so tunnelled on the end goal. As elite athletes, we are often so driven by our desire to achieve huge goals that we often forget to enjoy the journey. Gymnastics isn’t a sport you can continue to do for a very long time. The body can’t keep up with the amount of stress it is put under after some time. By enjoying the journey, I hope that once I retire I can look back on my career with fond memories.
What does a typical training day look like for you and how is it training at Huntingdon Gymnastics Club?
A typical training day starts from 12pm and finishes at 8pm. I usually work on new skills if I’m not preparing for a competition and have a very structured plan that I stick to to help guide me.
We understand you have helped develop the new sportswear brand SATUS with James Hall and Sam Ghinn, can you tell us about this?
SATUS is our sportswear brand that we have been working very hard on. We are extremely passionate about the clothes we create and hope to create a community of like-minded people that all have goals they are motivated to achieve. Being able to bring people together through something we are passionate about is something that we love.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I usually spend my free time by gaming on my PC, drawing or reading books. Sometimes I like to play golf as well. 😀
Do you have any competitions coming up that you can tell us about or that you are targeting?
For the moment, my focus is on adapting my routines to fit the new code of points. I’m hoping to compete at English Champs, British Champs, European Champs, a World Challenge Cup and hopefully the World Champs. Basically back to normal, I guess!
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