Artistic | Scottish gymnasts shine at the 2026 British Disability Artistic Championships
Scottish gymnasts won a total of forty medals at the 2026 British Disability Artistic Championships on Saturday 7 November.
Twenty-two Scots represented eight clubs across the competition levels at the event hosted in Fenton Manor. Gymnasts in competition B, A and open levels competed for the all-around titles in their age, level and classification category; learning disabilities sit under class I with physical and sensory impairment as class II. Apparatus medals were awarded within the age and levels, combining the classifications together. Those competing in the open level are also eligible to qualify to the disability masters at the 2027 British Artistic Championships in March.
The women’s artistic para gymnastics rules were also used on UK soil for the first time since officially being published by World Gymnastics last month. Seventeen gymnasts with identified upper limb, lower limb or visual impairment British Gymnastics classifications were invited to compete. Competing using the para gymnastics rules here gives them the opportunity to qualify to a new para master’s also in March. Patrick Bonner, president of the World Gymnastics para gymnastics commission and members of the French federation were in attendance to spectate the brand new round.
Para Gymnastics
Gymnasts competed in levels; development one, development two and performance, all combined regardless of age of specific disability classification. Para gymnastics will be apparatus medals only and gymnasts can compete on different levels for each apparatus if they wish. Darcey Ross dominated in development two on all four apparatus. The Arbroath gymnast brought home gold on floor, bars and beam and a silver on vault.
The following gymnasts finished top eight in their respective level and apparatus:
- Iona Timmons – City of Glasgow | performance beam bronze, development one bars bronze, development two vault fourth & floor fifth
- Millie Sinnott – City of Glasgow | development two beam bronze, development one floor fifth & vault seventh
- Monica Fisher – City of Glasgow | performance floor bronze, development two bars silver & vault bronze
- Scarlett Docherty-Lynass – City of Glasgow | development two silver floor, fourth beam & vault sixth, development one bars fifth Zara Coote – City of Glasgow | performance bars bronze, development two vault fifth & floor sixth, development two beam fifth
Women’s Artistic
Three Scots stepped up to the podium in the competition B senior women’s category. Emily McAlpine retained her classI all-around title for the fourth year running, plus a silver on floor. It was gold for Autumn Sherrifs with Carol Ball in silver medal position on vault. Carol also earned the competition B senior bars champion title with a score of 10.200.
First time competitor at the championships, Bella Norman earned two medals in the junior open category. She won silver on floor and performed a handspring, tuck front and Tsukahara to take gold on vault.
The following gymnasts placed top eight in their respective levels:
- Autumn Sherrifs – Eclipse | classI B senior | gold vault, fourth all-around, beam & floor, seventh bars
- Bella Norman – West Lothian | classI open junior | gold vault, silver floor, fourth all-around, beam & sixth bars
- Carol Ball – Fyrish | classI B senior | gold bars, silver vault, sixth all-around, seventh floor & beam
- Emma Thomson – North East | classI A senior | fourth all-around & floor, sixth beam, bars & vault
- Emily McAlpine – City of Glasgow | classI B senior | gold all-around, silver floor, fourth bars, fifth vault & beam
- Holly Lench – City of Glasgow | classI A senior | bronze all-around, fourth vault & beam, fifth floor & bars
- Lucie McRobbie – Central | classII open senior | bronze all-around, vault, fifth floor & bars, eighth beam
- Ella Morton – City of Glasgow | classI B senior | bronze all-around, floor & bars, fifth bars, eighth vault
- Mia Elliott – Grindon | classII open senior | fourth all-around, fifth beam, sixth vault, eighth floor & bars
- Poppy McCall – City of Glasgow | classI A senior | fifth all-around & beam, six floor, seventh vault & bars
Men’s Artistic
Andrew Carr competed at the championships for the first time and is the new competition B under 12 classII all-around champion. City of Glasgow clubmate Zachary Wood also was crowned competition B classII champion in the senior age group.
The following gymnasts placed top eight in their respective levels:
- Andrew Carr – City of Glasgow | classII B under 12 | gold all-around, silver pommel horse, bronze high bar, fourth floor parallel bars, rings & vault
- Andrew Meffen – City of Glasgow | classI B senior | fifth vault, sixth floor, high bar & rings, seventh all-around & parallel bars, eighth pommel horse
- Callum Sweeney – City of Glasgow | classII B under 12 | silver all-around, bronze floor, parallel bars, rings & vault, fourth high bar & pommel horse
- Connor Deafley – City of Glasgow | classI B senior | silver floor, fourth parallel bars, pommel horse, rings & vault, fifth all-around, seventh high bar
- Harley Davis – City of Glasgow | classII open junior | silver all-around & pommel horse, bronze floor, parallel bars & rings
- Zachary Wood – City of Glasgow | classII B senior | gold all-around, fifth floor & rings, seventh pommel horse, eighth high bar, parallel bars & vault
Congratulations to each gymnasts, their personal coaches and clubs on their achievements on the national stage.