While many were left floored by the impeccable gold-winning routine of the Philippines’ very own Carlos Yulo at the 2024 Paris Olympics, netizens also gained another athlete to fawn over during the men’s floor exercise: Filipino-British gymnast Jake Jarman.
The 22-year-old Olympian, who competes under the flag of Great Britain, became the subject of interest for Filipinos who tuned in, given his own proudly Pinoy heritage.
To get to know more about this British wunderkind, scroll on for 10 things about Jake!
Who Is Jake Jarman? 10 Facts About the Filipino-British Gymnast at the 2024 Paris Olympics
1. Jake Jarman is a Sagittarius.
The Olympic gymnast was born on December 3, 2001 in Peterborough, United Kingdom. Jake is currently 22 years old, as of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
2. Jake Jarman’s mom is from Cebu.
While born in England to a British dad, Jake actually boasts a half-Filipino heritage via his mother. His mom Anna hails from Cebu, and the gymnast even spent some of his early years in the Visayan region. In a 2017 interview with The Philippine Star, Jake recalled that he had lived in Cebu from age three to five years old. He still keeps contact with his Cebuano family, saying that he has fond memories with his cousins, lolo, and lola.
3. Jake Jarman began gymnastics at six years old.
Like many professional gymnasts, Jake started his journey in the sport at a young age. He took an interest in gymnastics at the age of six, after a local coach witnessed him playing on a park’s monkey bars. In a report by ITV quoted by Olympics.com, the coach suggested to his grandmother that he should take up the sport. “It kind of just progressed from there,” Jake said. “I’ve always had a natural love for physical activity, and I've always had a place in my heart for gymnastics from then on.”
4. Jake Jarman holds historical gymnastics records for Great Britain.
Jake made his Olympic debut in 2021 when he was a traveling reserve for Great Britain at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. As a British representative, the gymnast has collected several accolades. He’s the first male artistic gymnast from England to win four gold medals in a single edition of the Commonwealth Games, while, in 2023, he became the gold medalist in vault at the 2023 World Championships, making him the first British gymnast to claim the title in the particular event.
5. Jake Jarman has a gymnastics move named after him.
Cementing his turn in the road of the greats, Jake actually has a floor exercise move named after him called “The Jarman.” The skill is a 3.5-twisting double layout, which was dubbed after him at the 2023 Paris World Challenge Cup.
6. Jake Jarman likes to play Lego and read “Harry Potter” books.
According to his official Olympics profile, when he’s not on the mat, Jake likes to spend his downtime pursuing “nerdier” hobbies, including playing with Lego sets and perusing the Harry Potter books.
7. Jake Jarman won bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics men’s floor exercise.
The Filipino-British gymnast bagged the third podium spot at the men’s floor exercise event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he scored 14.933 points in his routine. His impressive round earned him a bronze medal, just next to silver medalist Artem Dolgopyat of Israel and the Philippines’ Carlos Yulo, who earned a historical gold.
8. Jake Jarman is good friends with Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo.
While they may be each other’s toughest competitors on the Olympic mat, Jake and Carlos are actually pals. The two had trained together at a British gymnastics center in Lilleshall, right after Carlos parted ways with his Japanese coach.
On Instagram Stories, Jake even shared a cute snap of them together as the “Pinoy duo”!
9. Jake Jarman could play for the Philippines at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Hopes are high for the potential start of a Philippine gymnastics team at the upcoming Los Angeles 2028 Olympics when news spread of Jake’s interest in competing for his mother’s homeland.
In a report by The Philippine Star, Cynthia Carrion, the president of the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP), says that the gymnast may likely be playing under a new flag. “Next Olympics, he wants to play for the Philippines. So we’ll seek FIG’s (International Gymnastics Federation) permission. I will write a letter and we’ll see if FIG says yes or no,” she said. “Ang importante may Philippine passport siya.”
10. You can follow Jake on Instagram.
Keep up with all things Jake through his official Instagram page. According to a message on his broadcast channel, seven percent of his followers are from the Philippines!
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