Before Jake Jarman’s glorious five days at the Commonwealth Games the England gymnast had never landed his hardest vault in any competition. It is one of the most difficult vaults in the world, the Yonekura, a whirlwind of three and a half twists. Few can even dream of mastering it.
Yet it is the skill that has most defined his breakthrough. It immediately spotlit his talents when he easily executed it in the team final, then it was the decisive apparatus in the men’s all around final, separating him from the field. Finally it won him a gold medal outright in the vault final as Jarman concluded his breakout Games by becoming the first men’s gymnast to win four gold medals. He is now the all around, team, floor and vault Commonwealth champion.
