Meet Jake Jarman, the Fil-Brit gymnast catching hearts at the Paris Olympics
Fil-Brit Olympian Jake Jarman has caught the attention of Filipinos not just because of his prowess as a gymnast but also because of his charm.
Marking his Olympic debut this year with a 14.933 finish, earning him a bronze medal, Jake has since taken the spotlight, especially with his charm that is “Filipino coded.”
JAKE JARMAN IS SO FILIPINO CODED HAHAHHAHAHAHAHA pic.twitter.com/CSrh2iOnoF
— bakon (@flavourlesself) August 3, 2024
He has also been making the rounds with his "silliness" at the Paris Games, as X users have been sharing clips of his "unserious" moments.
Jake Jarman is so Junhui in terms of silliness 😅😅😅 pic.twitter.com/Kpvq9yrVaY
— Zi 😙 (@naekkyeomzzi) August 5, 2024
Get to know more about the vibrant life of the rising Fil-Brit gymnast below.
He started his gymnastics career at age six
The 22-year-old athlete has long been passionate about the sport at such a young age. In his 2022 interview with ITV News, Jake shared that a local gymnastics coach saw his potential when he was spotted playing on the monkey bars in a park in Peterborough, England.
He said the coach told his mom, "You should take your son to gymnastics."
"It kind of just progressed from there. 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,” he continued.
In his exclusive interview with The Philippine STAR in 2017, he recalled how he was “very energetic” in his childhood and kept on “bouncing from wall to wall.”
“My mom and nan were desperate to find something that would keep me occupied. That’s the time I found gymnastics and I loved it from the very start,” Jake said. He also recalled that he liked playing football and ice hockey, but when his mom gave him an ultimatum to choose only one sport, it didn’t take long for him to pursue gymnastics.
At age 12, he made it to the Great Britain’s Elite Squad.
His gymnastics hero is Louis Smith of Great Britain, a four-time Olympic medallist and a five-time world championship medallist.
He holds some historic firsts in gymnastics
Jake has since continued to thrive in the sport after training and competing in different games, as seen on his Instagram feed.
Prior to his Olympic stint, he was already a decorated gymnast. He was the first male artistic gymnast to carry England to win four medals at a single edition of the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
He also bagged a gold medal in vault at the 2023 World Championships, becoming the first British gymnast to claim the world title in the event.
After serving as the traveling reserve in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, he made sure to make his debut as an official player at the Paris Olympics memorable by clinching the bronze medal in the men's floor exercise finals. Gold medalist Carlos Yulo from the Philippines and silver medalist Artem Dolgopyat of Israel joined him on the podium.
Jake and Carlos also trained together at a British gymnastics center in Lilleshall, after the Pinoy parted ways with his Japanese coach.
There’s a gymnastics move named after him
Making his mark in the sport, Jake has a skill named after him dubbed, “The Jarman,” a double salto backward laid-out with a whopping three-and-a-half twist layout which he performed at the 2023 Paris World Challenge Cup.
He likes Lego and Harry Potter
Outside the mat and training gears, Jake turns his geeky mode on and enjoys playing with Lego sets and reading Harry Potter books.
He is proud of his Filipino roots
Born to his Filipino mom, Ana Jarman, Jake lived in Cebu when he was three to five years old. In the same interview with The STAR, he previously said, “I am proud to have both Philippine and British heritage.”
“I still get to talk to my family in Cebu, using Skype and they are always following my progress. I love Cebu and its great beaches, and I have very good memories of my time at school and with my cousins, Lola, and Lolo,” he shared.
In one of his Instagram stories, he also shared an old photo of him in his early years, wearing a t-shirt with a print, “Jake loves Cebu.”
He also expressed his interest to represent the Philippines in the next Olympics in 2028.
“Next Olympics, he wants to play for the Philippines. So we’ll seek FIG’s permission. I will write a letter and we’ll see if FIG says yes or no,” said Cynthia Carrion, president of the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP).