Recently, George Atkins retained his Floor title from 2025 at the 2026 British Under 18 Artistic Gymnastics Championships, where he also won Silver in the All-Around and on Horizontal Bar, and Bronze on Pommel Horse and Rings. George started this year winning numerous medals, including Under 18 All-Around Gold at the Welsh (Open) Championships and English Championships, and at last year’s British Men’s Artistic Club Team Championships, he won Silver alongside his South Essex Gymnastics Club teammates Danny Crouch, Joshua Nathan, Alex Niscoveanu and Courtney Tulloch. Having had two years off due to injury, George’s first competition back was at the 2025 Welsh Championships, and he brought back all six apparatus for the first time since 2023 at the English Championships (winning Silver All-Around), and his international comeback was at the DTB Pokal Team Challenge in Stuttgart, Germany, winning two Bronze medals in Team and Horizontal Bar. As a British gymnast, George represented Great Britain at the 2023 Junior World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antalya alongside Winston Powell and Alexander Yolshin-Cash, and he competed internationally for the first time in 2021, winning eight Golds – Team, Under 14 All-Around and every apparatus at the Wohnen Junior Trophy in Cottbus. Soon, George will be transitioning to senior level, however, prior to this, he will be competing at the British Team Championships in June and has hopes of making the team for the Junior European Championships in August, and in 2022, he filmed with now-retired artistic gymnast Nile Wilson for Nile’s YouTube channel. We caught up with George about retaining his Floor title at the 2026 British Under 18 Artistic Gymnastics Championships, his All-Around Gold wins at the Welsh (Open) and English Championships earlier this year, returning to competitions in 2025 after two years out due to injury, winning eight Gold medals for his first international competition at Wohnen Junior Trophy and training at South Essex Gymnastics Club.
For your most recent competition, you have competed at the 2026 British Under 18 Artistic Gymnastics Championships, how was it retaining your Floor title from 2025 and winning Silver in the All-Around and on Horizontal Bar, and Bronze on Pommel Horse and Rings?
I’m very grateful to have been able to retain my British Floor title, as well as placing second in the All-Around behind another incredible gymnast. I have been working hard in the gym and I felt like it all paid off at the British.
You started the year by winning numerous medals, including Under 18 All-Around Gold at both the Welsh (Open) and English Championships; can you tell us about your success at both competitions, and how is it starting the year with these Championships?
I love competing, so the Welsh and English Championships are great competitions to kick off the competition season. I was surprised with how well I did at both competitions, as it was a tough field full of great gymnasts.
How different do you find competing at the Men’s Artistic Club Team Championships and how did it feel winning Silver last year as part of South Essex Gymnastics Club with your teammates Danny Crouch, Joshua Nathan, Alex Niscoveanu and Courtney Tulloch?
It was a pleasure to compete alongside the senior boys that I train with last year at the British Teams for the first time. I love the way in which team competitions take place, as everyone needs to do their job in order for the team to do well. I can’t wait to do the competition again this year.
Having had two years off from competition due to injuries, you had your first competition back at the 2025 Welsh Championships; how did you feel competing again and what was it like preparing for the competition?
My preparation for the Welsh in 2025 wasn’t easy, as I hadn’t been able to string more than a couple of skills together due to the lack of training I had for the previous two years. However, competing again reignited my spark for gymnastics and the love for the sport. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who supported me in making my comeback into competitive gymnastics.
What was it like competing in the All-Around for the first time since 2023 at last year’s English Championships and coming away with Silver in the All-Around event?
I was honestly thrilled to have just been competing on all six apparatus again at the English in 2025 after two long years of inconsistent training and injuries, so coming second in the All-Around was more than I could have asked for, or even expected of myself.
How was the experience returning to international competitions in March last year at the 2025 DTB Pokal Team Challenge in Stuttgart, Germany, where you won two Bronze medals (with the Team and on the Horizontal Bar)?
Stuttgart 2025 was definitely one of the best international experiences I have had so far in my gymnastics career. Coming away with a Team medal up against some other amazing countries, and also a High Bar medal, was everything I could have wanted. Also, to be able to compete alongside such a great team of boys was a pleasure.
What do you feel you learnt from your time away from competitions while dealing with injuries, and was there anything you found most challenging about bringing back all six apparatus?
I feel like I learnt a lot of lessons having been injured for so long. I realised how much I love the sport, and also how I should just be grateful to be doing it injury-free. It really is a privilege that I know many people don’t have.
You represented Great Britain at the 2023 Junior World Artistic Gymnastics Championships; what did you enjoy about competing in Antalya alongside Winston Powell and Alexander Yolshin-Cash?
Competing in Antalya at the Junior World Championships in 2023 was a difficult experience for me as I had high expectations of myself that I didn’t meet. However, competing alongside Alex and Winston not only inspired me to become a more mature gymnast – as they were, and still are, role models for me – but it also brought the three of us a lot closer together, as we have shared an unforgettable experience together.
What do you remember from your first international competition in September 2021, when you won eight Golds (Team, Under 14 All-Around, and every apparatus) at the Wohnen Junior Trophy in Cottbus?
The Junior Wohnen Trophy in Cottbus in 2021 was my first taste of international competition, and I loved it. The crowd, the cheering and the adrenaline I felt made it incredibly special, and it will always be something I am proud of.
How did you get into artistic gymnastics and was it always something you wanted to do at elite level?
My parents would take me to a Parent & Toddler session at South Essex Gymnastics Club, and one of the coaches told my parents that I was naturally stronger and more flexible than other children the same age, so I started doing classes from there. It wasn’t until my current coach Ant started coaching me at the age of five that I really knew I would be an elite gymnast.
Can you tell us about your typical training day at South Essex Gymnastics Club and how has it changed over the years?
My typical training day normally starts at around 11:30am or 1:30pm, depending on what lessons I have at sixth form, and then I will normally train until either 6:30pm or 8pm if I’m not in competition prep. My training schedule has remained similar, as I have been leaving school to train since the age of eight, so in a full week of training, I would probably train for around 35+ hours a week.
You will soon be transitioning to senior level; how will you be getting ready to compete as a senior and what are you looking forward to for joining the senior squad?
I will be upgrading my routines in various areas in order to be able to keep up with, and challenge, the senior gymnasts. I’m also looking forward to competing against some of the biggest names in British Gymnastics, as they have inspired me over the years. It will be amazing to compete alongside them.
Were there any gymnasts that inspired you when starting out, and do you have any other favourite sports to watch?
I have looked up to many gymnasts during my career. In particular, my now training partners Max Whitlock, Courtney Tulloch and Josh Nathan have been great role models for me inside the GB system, as well as Sam Oldham and Nile Wilson, who have shown me what it’s like to handle the pressures of being Olympic gymnasts.
Internationally, Vitaly Scherbo was my favourite gymnast growing up, and now I look up to Japanese gymnasts such as Shinnosuke Oka and Daiki Hashimoto.
I love to watch football, tennis and golf when I can, as I’m interested in lots of sports as well as gymnastics.
What was it like filming a video with Olympian and former Great Britain gymnast Nile Wilson for his YouTube channel in 2022?
It was honestly an incredible experience filming with Nile, as he is a massive inspiration for me. He also helped me gain a greater following on social media, which has led to opportunities such as this interview. I’m so grateful to have had such an opportunity, and hope for more in the future of my career.
Have you received any advice over your career so far that has stuck with you?
I have received many pieces of advice from other gymnasts and support staff around me. Three key things I have learnt to do are: enjoy my journey in gymnastics, as it won’t last forever; find a way to make it happen, as I know I will face many challenges before I can reach my potential; and, finally, trust the process. These are important to me as they reflect the way I think and feel when doing my gymnastics.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I love to spend my free time playing table tennis with my friends, darts with my brother, listening to music, or chilling watching Netflix or YouTube with my dog Ted.
Do you have any competitions coming up that you can tell us about or that you are targeting?
I have the British Team Championships coming up in June, and then, hopefully, the Junior European Championships in Croatia later on in August, if I make the team.
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