Artistic | 2025 Scottish National Champions named and first Para-Gymnastics trial event in Scotland
Reuben Ward and Crystelle Lake have been crowned the all-around champions at the 2025 Scottish National Artistic Gymnastics Championships. The Para-Gymnastics women’s artistic draft code was also used for first time in Scotland this weekend.
With the successful layout of ten apparatus in Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility at the 2024 Artistic and Acrobatic Caledonia International, the Scottish national artistic gymnastics championship could return to its former format of men’s and women’s together. With this Saturday saw the all-around finals followed on Sunday by apparatus finals, for select categories, once again.
Earning her first all-around senior title, Crystelle Lake (City of Glasgow) topped the rankings on two out of the four apparatus on day one of the competition. A minor injury sustained on bars dropped her into second place in qualification, but she returned to Sunday’s finals going clean and securing the gold medal on this apparatus. On how the competition felt for her, Crystelle commented:
“I was competing a few new skills and routines today. You don’t always know how it’s going to go, some of it well and some of it not so much, but I’m just really happy with how it went today.”
Manchester’s Rueben Ward came into this championships on top form and claimed the senior men’s all-around title just 0.267 ahead of last years winner Cameron Lynn (West Lothian). Day two of competition seen Ward earn a further title, this time on parallel bars followed by a silver medal on the last apparatus of the day – high bar. Speaking after his all-around title win, Reuben commented:
“Last year was a big learning experience for me. It made me realise that if you don’t put in the work to the maximum, you won’t get the maximum out of it. It’s a great feeling and I’m really proud of myself.”
Four women’s artistic gymnasts from the City of Glasgow trialed one of the proposed Para-Gymnastics levels currently being drafted by the FIG Working Group. Monica Fisher was presented with the senior trophy in this competition, retaining her title once again and awarded with three apparatus golds on beam, floor and vault. Vault being a medal to remember as she performed a half on using the full table for the first time in competition.
Competition was close, coming down to the last piece to decide the champion in the disability category I (gymnasts with learning disabilities) level. City of Glasgow’s Holly Lench claimed her vault title for another year and claimed gold on beam after a solid routine to take the all-around title also.
In the all-around competition across the other categories, the following gymnasts won gold in their respective levels:
Men’s Under 12 – Jack Mcadam | West Lothian
Men’s Under 14 – Jared Tobias | City of Glasgow
Men’s Under 16 – Mitchell Cargill | City of Glasgow
Men’s Under 18 – Aaron Gregory | Hamilton
Men’s Disability Category I Junior – Connor Deafley | City of Glasgow
Women’s Aspire – Jessica Gow | Falcons
Women’s Junior – Sophie Campbell | City of Aberdeen
Women’s Disability Category I Junior – Sophie Barnett | West Lothian
Women’s Para Junior – Zara Coote | City of Glasgow
The teams competition had the following gymnasts and their club claim the gold medals and respective cup:
Women’s – City of Glasgow | Abigail Cochrane, Ava Macfarlane, Crystelle Lake, Ellie Gray, Emily Spratt & Jaya Smith
Men’s – West Lothian (A) | Cameron Lynn, Euan Mclellan, Gregor Happs, Kyle Millar & Moray Gault
The Dave Scollon Artistry Award was awarded to Cameron Lynn, for the second year running, following his impressive high bar routine and stuck landing in the dismount.
Congratulations to all the gymnasts and clubs that competed at this event across the weekend. Full results from the competition are available from gymdata.co.uk.
Photography credits @Ewan Bootman