How fate helped Jake Jarman become an Olympic bronze medallist

Gymnastics Artistic 03 Aug 24

Had Jake Jarman’s grandmother not taken him to a local park when he was just a small boy, the chances are he would not an Olympic medallist.

While swinging happily on the monkey bars, Jarman was unaware a stranger had suggested to his nan that they should take him to gymnastics lessons – his balance and co-ordination already standing out before he could barely read and write.

The rest, as they say, is history.

“It is like fate brought me here I guess,” the Peterborough star said after collecting a bronze medal in the men’s floor final.

“My journey is mad. I have spoken to my nan about this as well, I ask if she thinks I would be a gymnast if that person did not say anything. It’s incredible to think where all this came from.”

Jarman’s medal is the first for Team GB’s gymnastics squad in Paris and comes just five days after an agonising fourth-place finish in the men’s team final.

His score of 14.933 was just 0.067 off the gold medal, won by Philippines’ Carlos Edriel Yulo, and 0.033 off silver, while there was added tension at the end of the competition when teammate Luke Whitehouse was the last to go.

The two-time European champion put together a neat routine but it was only good enough for fifth, leaving Jarman conflicted between personal joy and sympathy for his mate.

“I was shocked to see how low his score was and I do feel gutted for him, I really do,” he added.

“He has put so much into this, he is a two-time European champion and it is a shame for him.”

Whitehouse was devastated to miss the medals, while Jarman was amazed at bagging bronze.

This is not even supposed to be his strong event. On Sunday, he will go in the vault final as the reigning world, European and Commonwealth champion and admits this bonus bronze takes the pressure off.

The 22-year-old was the third to last athlete to compete and by the time he strolled out at Bercy Arena, the standard had been set in a high-quality final.

Yulo was the second athlete out and shot to the top with an excellent 15.000, while Israel’s Artem Dolgopyat slotted into second.

Jarman’s routine was a 6.6 difficulty, marginally higher than the Israeli and the same as Yulo, but he scored 8.333 for execution.

He added: "I'm lost for words to be honest. This medal means everything to me. I've had a lot of people in my life that helped me to get where I am.

“It is satisfying. I think to hit that score consistently just shows how much work I have put into this,” he said.

“I have put in a lot of steps to compete at this level and it means a lot to me to know I can be at this level in very competition going forwards.

“I feel like a lot of people put a lot of pressure onto an Olympics. This new thing I have been doing it telling myself to go for it, and not think about the routine too much. I can sometimes do that.”

Jarman has been keeping fans entertained with updates on life in the athlete’s village on social media, revealing his delight at staying on the same floor as Andy Murray.

Now, he gets ready for the vault final, where he hopes to join the tennis great as an Olympic champion - with the pressure well and truly off.

“I am super excited,” he added.

“Even if I don’t do well, I will be walking away from here with a bronze medal around my neck. I can’t wait. It feels like it takes the pressure off.”

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