Fraser shines as Jarman prepares well for individual finals

Gymnastics Artistic 31 Jul 24

Joe Fraser recorded one of Britain’s best-ever results in the men’s artistic gymnastics all-around final with a fifth-place finish.

The 25-year-old from Birmingham bettered his own performance at Tokyo 2020 by four places with a score of 85.532, with Jake Jarman also finishing inside the top eight with a score of 84.565.

It sees the pair match Max Whitlock (third) and Nile Wilson (eighth) in 2016 in having two men in the top eight of the all-around Olympic final and responded impressively from a fourth-place finish in the men’s team final on Monday.

“I’m over the moon,” Fraser said. “I was reminded earlier that I came 52nd in the Europeans in the all-around four months ago.

“To finish fifth in an Olympic Games, I couldn’t be prouder.

“It was all about having fun. I was really disappointed after the team final, I was praying we could do enough, but it wasn’t to be.

“I just thought I had nothing to lose, I went for everything I wanted to.

"I’m proud and going round with Jake was just a joy. He’s fun, energetic and he’s always so happy. It makes things so much easier. I left it all out there and I’m very proud of it."

While the medals were just out of reach, 1.300 points away for Fraser, the results on individual apparatus made for positive viewing with those finals coming up.

Jake Jarman produced comfortably the highest score of the evening on vault, with 15.166 to power him into medal contention. 

The reigning world champion in the discipline will compete in the event on 4 August, having represented Team GB in the floor final the day before.

His floor score of 14.966 during qualifying was the best out of any gymnast, and he scored only 0.066 less in the all-around final, again the best of the competition on Wednesday.

And while he was not expecting a medal in the all-around final, he believes the competition sets him up perfectly for tilts at both the floor and vault podiums.

“From when I knew I’d made the all-around final, I didn’t have any expectations on myself to be in the top three,” he said

“With the scores I produce, it’s still quite far off that top three spot. It was mostly about trying to enjoy the moment and the experience.

“To be in the top group, going around and starting on floor, it’s crazy. It’s an incredible opportunity and I just wanted to soak it all up and have as much fun as I could. I think I did that.

“I’m definitely having a well-earned day off tomorrow but I’ll be back on it from Friday.

"To get out on that competition floor and do my vault and floor routine was definitely helpful.

“If hadn’t had that chance to perform, I’d have had almost a week without competing and then had to put out routines.”

On 3 August, Max Whitlock will look to defend his pommel horse title for a second time having qualified in third for the final.

On Olympic debut, Luke Whitehouse is competing in the floor competition along Jarman, while fellow debutant Harry Hepworth will go in the vault and the rings, the latter of which is Team GB’s first-ever rings Olympic finalist. 

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