This year Oxford hosted our annual varsity match against Cambridge on Sunday 2nd March 2025. After a 2 year winning streak, our Oxford team was determined to make this year a triumphant hat-trick. Both Men and Women’s teams had been hard at work for weeks perfecting their routines and sticking their landings. This year, in particular, we were expecting fierce competition from Cambridge so we knew every gymnast needed to deliver their best performance yet.
The competition started with WAG A on vault. With several excellent half-on half-offs including one from our captain Kira, and a very clean Yamashita from Julia, it was looking like a very promising start.
Next up, WAG B were ready on bars. Routines were very consistent all round, with both Julia and Beth making their upstarts, and an extremely neat routine from Suki, who was only just back to competing after ACL surgery! For the guest competition Sarah also performed a beautifully clean routine to end off the round.
After a stellar performance from WAG B, it was now time for WAG A to nail their bars routines. Everyone had clean routines with no falls, and Cadence debuted her high bar routine at the perfect moment!
Next, WAG B were on vault. There were several solid squat throughs and handsprings, as well as a commendable half-on half-off from Beth!
Oxford MAG was also expecting a close competition with Cambridge and was hungry for a win. MAG B was up first on the pommel horse, represented by Adam, Alex and B team captain, Jasper. Alex obtained a massive score for the team, despite being drafted at the last moment! Jasper followed suit with a squeaky clean routine, and Adam nailed his performance as well.
Next, MAG A headed to the floor. MAG A showcased tremendous talent on floor this year, with all 6 gymnasts contributing outstanding scores. Super clean routines were delivered by David, Alex and Max Kendall. Alas, the numerous arabesque-related posters held up by teammates in the crowd weren’t enough to stabilise the rather fidgety arabesques performed by the team!
At the same time, MAG B were gearing up for rings. Solid performances were delivered across the team, notably with Akum debuting his first rings routine! Jasper’s intensive shoulder-stretching regime throughout the year paid off with an impressive display of shoulder flexibility culminating in a brilliant score.
To end the morning, MAG A churned out a set of solid pommel scores, with Robert performing his best routine yet. Notable mention to Alex who learnt his entire routine the day before the competition! MAG B executed a collection of clean and well-composed floor routines, with Akum’s impressive score topping the leaderboard. MAG A took to rings with superb scores across the team. Props to captain Han who picked himself up after a spectacular fall and delivered an excellent routine.
After a short break for lunch, WAG A were up on beam. Up till now, the scores were neck-and-neck between Oxford WAG A and Cambridge WAG A and everyone knew that beam would be the deciding factor. With words of encouragement from their team to calm their nerves, each gymnast stepped up to the beam one by one. Although there were a few falls (especially from women’s captain Kira), both Annalie and Meggie managed to stick their whole routines, and impressed everyone with some impressive roundoffs on beam!
WAG B were then over to floor. Tanya’s powerful tumbles impressed everyone, and Beth’s Michael Jackson floor routine is always fun to watch! Emma showed off her new choreography with a set of very clean tumbles as well!
WAG A then matched WAG B’s performance with some very impressive routines of their own! Julia’s powerful routine was beautifully executed as always, and Meggie’s debut of her handspring tuck front half was very neat as well. Kira also showed off a new skill with her nicely landed tuck front half, and Cadence showed off her impressive flexibility with her ring leap. Finally Annalie finished off the WAG A competition with a very solid routine as well.
Concluding the WAG competition, WAG B took to beam. Everyone performed excellently with 4 stuck routines, and some highlights being Tanya’s impressively balanced handstand mount and a stuck backwards walkover from Suki! In the guest competition it was yet another stuck routine from Sarah with a very impressive Roundoff sissone connection, a very nice way to end the competition for WAG!
More excitement was to come in the afternoon for MAG. MAG B executed solid performances on parallel bars, with Joseph making his debut on this apparatus. On high bar, Alex’s giants came as a nasty surprise for Cambridge, while Tom became extraordinarily tangled in the bar after a back hip circle, much to the team’s amusement. Meanwhile, MAG A were on vault, with jawdropping straight tsuks performed by David and Max Kendall. MAG A finished off with clean parallel bars routines and high bar routines – after an intensive high bar crash course given by Lucy the week before! Max Kendall concluded the day by sticking his double back dismount on high bar, earning him an eyewatering score and cheers of celebration from his teammates!
In the end everyone was very nervous for the results, as we knew the competition would be tight. WAG B managed to win the trophy again for the 3rd year running, however sadly Cambridge WAG A managed to outperform us this year, but with only a 1.65 mark gap between the teams, it was closer than ever before! In the individual competition, Beth managed to take home the bronze for WAG B and Julia got the silver in WAG A! Sarah also took home the silver for WAG guest! MAG B proudly held up the B team cup for a triumphant 3rd year win, but sadly our A team was trumped by Cambridge MAG A. David earned a commendable silver for the MAG A individual competition, while Jasper and Alex snatched gold and silver for MAG B. Brilliant performances were seen throughout the day in the guest competition, with Ben and Máté taking first and second place. We are super proud of every single gymnast who represented Oxford and are ready to claim back our title next year!
Oxford University Gymnastics Club 