Girls Bronze Medal and boys top 4 finish at Loulé Cup 2026

Team Ireland has returned home after a successful Loulé Cup in Portugal. The team of 11 gymnasts showed great composure on the international stage, with the U13 girls claiming a team bronze medal for their country, Sam Johnson progressing to the final of the Junior boys category and Louise Carlin missing out on a final in the ultra-competitive U13 category by just over one tenth of a point.

On Friday, the U13 girls team competed in qualifications, scoring a total of 250.750 to place third in the team rankings. In a field of over 100 gymnasts, the girls each score a personal best, with Louise Carlin (85.52) leading the way ahead of Isabella Curtin (82.62), Tonya Marchenko (82.61) and Isabelle Harty (81.12). Louise placed 9th in qualifications, making her first reserve for the final on Saturday.

Also on Friday, Sam Johnson made his debut for Ireland, finishing two superb routines to score 91.26 to place him fifth in the standings and earning himself a place in Saturday's final. He performed strongly again, hitting a PB on his voluntary routine to score 49.64 and place fourth, just four tenths of a place on the podium.

Elsewhere on the team, Amelia Whelan (84.49) led the way for the 13-14 girls in 17th place, alongside team-mates Freya Coburn and Zoe Ledwidge. Ryan O'Neill made his Irish debut in 13-14 boys, while Liam Talbot led the way for our Senior Men on a score of 52.03, accompanied by his team-mate Shay Looney.

The team returns to Dublin to prepare for National Series on October 25th, with World Age Group Competitions following in November.

Naoise Holohan, Team Head Coach:

"It was another successful trip to Loulé Cup this year, with many Irish debuts and personal bests, as well as another team medal for our U13 girls and Sam's fantastic performances in qualifications and finals being the highlights. Even with a younger set of gymnasts than usual, our team still showed the progress and development of high performance trampoline in Ireland, and a confidence that we belong on the international stage."

Well done and thank you to all judges, coaches and gymnasts on a successful international competition.

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