Harry Hepworth captured a bronze medal in the men’s vault during his Olympic debut in a thrilling eight-man final on Sunday. His Team GB teammate and reigning world champion, Jake Jarman, narrowly missed the podium by less than two hundredths of a point.
Hepworth, who competed second, clinched Britain’s first medal in this event with a dragulescu and a handspring two and a half twist, followed by a tense wait to see if his two-vault average of 14.949 would suffice.
“It was one of the most agonizing waits of my life,” admitted the 20-year-old from Leeds. “I was even thinking of going to the restroom just to avoid the wait.”
Rising star Carlos Edriel Yulo from the Philippines claimed his second gold of the Paris Olympics with a two-vault average of 15.116. The 24-year-old executed his rise gwang vault flawlessly to take the lead at the halfway point, staying on top with a remarkable kasamatsu double twist. The standings were upended only during the final attempt when Armenia’s Artur Davtyan secured silver with an outstanding two and a half twist. Davtyan’s combined score of 14.966 pushed Hepworth into bronze, while Jarman (14.933) was cruelly left without a medal.
Yulo’s second gold in just 24 hours followed his floor exercise title the previous day, marking a pivotal moment for a country that had won only one gold medal in all sports prior to the weekend. “I’m thankful for everyone who believed in me during the ups and downs,” he reflected. “This one feels particularly sweet. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for my health and the joy of this moment. This medal means so much to me.”
The remarkable achievements didn’t stop there. Earlier, Algerian teenager Kaylia Nemour made history as the first gymnast from Africa to earn an Olympic medal, soaring to gold with a mesmerizing routine on the uneven bars to outshine China’s Qiu Qiyuan. Suni Lee from the USA secured her third medal of the week and sixth Olympic medal by winning bronze, mirroring her third-place finish from Tokyo three years prior.
“I am extremely happy with my performance today,” Nemour expressed. “I’m still in disbelief as I can’t believe I am an Olympic champion on the uneven bars. This has been my ultimate dream, born from years of dedication and hard work. It feels surreal, and I am truly honored to represent myself and Algeria in this way.”
Nemour’s victory might have belonged to the host nation had circumstances been different in recent years. Although she was born in France, where she trains and resides, she faced conflicts with the French gymnastics federation regarding her recovery from knee surgery, which ultimately led her to embrace her father’s Algerian heritage.
The 17-year-old uneven bars specialist showcased her talent with the highest score during Thursday’s all-around final and maintained her place in the medal running entering the last rotation, delivering a stellar performance on Sunday to fend off Qiu, whose demanding routine captivated the audience of over 10,000.
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Prior to that, China’s Liu Yang successfully defended his Olympic title on the rings in a closely fought final, scoring 15.300 to narrowly surpass his teammate Zou Jingyuan by 0.067 points.
The 29-year-old Liu became only the third man to earn multiple Olympic titles in this event, joining the ranks of Albert Azaryan from Russia and Akinori Nakayama from Japan. Eleftherios Petrounias of Greece secured bronze with a score of 15.100, continuing his streak of medaling in the event across three consecutive Olympics.
“I felt there were still some flaws in my routine today,” Liu remarked. “As a perfectionist, it wasn’t perfect enough for my standards. However, I’m incredibly pleased to have brought home a gold medal for China. As I approach 30, with over a decade of competition under my belt, I’ve adapted to any lineup. Zou Jingyuan performed first despite his shoulder injury, demonstrating remarkable resilience. We both treated this like a regular training routine.”
Samir Aït Saïd from France finished in fourth place, eight years after suffering a severe leg injury on the vault in Rio. Saïd, who is committed to pursuing the Los Angeles Olympics in four years, was the clear crowd favorite, but his score of 15.000 drew jeers from the audience when displayed on the scoreboard.
