Welsh gymnasts enjoyed an outstanding weekend at the Caledonia Cup, an international competition held over the weekend which brought together athletes from across the Home Nations and beyond. Competing in women’s and men’s artistic gymnastics as well as acrobatics, the Welsh squad delivered consistent high-level performances, collecting titles, team medals and a string of podium finishes.
In Women’s Artistic Gymnastics, Wales dominated throughout the competition. In the Aspire all-around, Madi Jones claimed gold with a composed and confident performance, while Olivia Melin finished inside the top ten in eighth. The Junior all-around was equally successful, with Roxanne-Nnika Sochon taking first place overall after a standout competition, supported by Aiyla Griffith in third and Chloe Newton just behind in fourth. Their combined scores proved decisive in the team competition, where Wales secured first place overall, crowning themselves team champions.
Roxanne-Nnika Sochon continued her superb weekend in the apparatus finals, where she claimed victory on vault and floor, confirming her dominance across the competition. Chloe Newton added to the medal tally with silver on beam and bronze on floor, while Aiyla Griffith narrowly missed the podium on bars with a strong fifth-place finish. Olivia Melin also produced an excellent effort in the vault final, finishing fifth in a competitive field.
The Welsh men also produced impressive performances in Men’s Artistic Gymnastics. In the Under-16 all-around, Sammy Cotter emerged as champion after delivering six consistent routines to secure first place, with Iolo Parry finishing sixth and Jedidah Lewis eighth. The Under-14 competition saw Reuben Burns place fifth and Jamie Tran close behind in sixth. Together, the Welsh squad’s combined scores earned them a team bronze medal, finishing third overall in the standings.
Individually, the apparatus finals highlighted the strength and versatility of the Welsh gymnasts. Sammy Cotter collected gold medals on rings and high bar, while Iolo Parry topped the podium on pommel horse. Across the remaining events, both athletes featured strongly, with several top-six finishes across floor, vault and parallel bars, reinforcing Wales’ depth across the full set of apparatus.
Welsh acrobatic gymnasts added further success to the weekend with medals across multiple age groups. In Pre-Youth, Esme Roberts and Riley Rogers delivered a superb routine to win gold in the mixed pair competition, while Victoria Ogunbisi and Estee Vaughan claimed bronze in the women’s pair category. The women’s group of Tayah Callendar, Sophia Davies and Eleanor Davies narrowly missed the podium in fourth place. At Junior level, Daisy Calo, Megan Griffiths and Emily Hall earned silver in the women’s group competition with a confident and well-executed routine.
The Aspire categories brought more medals for Wales, with Hallie Riley and Isabella Hall winning gold in the women’s pair and Anais Griffiths and Maya Verbeeck securing bronze. In the women’s group event, Evie Thomas, Julia Malcewska and Lowri Parry also stepped onto the podium with a third-place finish. Meanwhile in the IDP 1 competition, Annest Beynon, Hollie Bamford and Alexia Pope collected bronze, with further strong performances from Amelia Rogers, Lowri Clarke and Lucy Lewis in fourth, and Esme Pooley, Nia Davies and Charlotte Barley finishing fifth.
The Caledonia Cup once again proved to be a valuable test for young gymnasts, and this year it was Wales who made their mark. Across all disciplines, the athletes showed resilience, confidence and technical strength, leaving the event with a strong collection of medals and an even stronger sense of momentum heading into the rest of the season.