From the very first day of competition at the 2025 European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Osijek, North Macedonia, Britain’s rising stars made their mark. Led by an imperious Evan McPhillips, the British men’s gymnastics team clinched two major titles : team gold and the all-around individual crown. These results highlight the emergence of a new generation: ambitious, supremely talented, and determined to cement Team GB’s place at the summit of artistic gymnastics.
A Golden Generation Ready to Lead the Future
It may only have been day one in Osijek, but the British men’s team wasted no time in making a statement. Spearheaded by Evan McPhillips – already a junior European team champion in 2024 : the trio impressed across all six apparatus. Scoring a combined total of 158.500, McPhillips, Uzair Chowdhury and Zakaine Fawzi-McCaffrey successfully retained the team title won in 2023 by Alexander Niscoveanu, Jonas Rushworth and Sol Scott. Notably, Rushworth has since gone on to become a senior European team champion earlier this year, a testament to the value of youth competitions like the EYOF in shaping elite-level athletes.
This year’s British trio edged out Italy and Germany to top the podium once again, underlining the consistency and depth of a programme that’s become a fixture on the European stage.
Yet it was Evan McPhillips who stole the show with his performance in the all-around. In a thrilling duel with Italy’s Ivan Rigon, McPhillips emerged victorious with a score of 78.600 – just one tenth ahead of his Italian rival. Visibly moved, the Bolton-born gymnast said after the event: “I’m stunned at how the day has played out. Two gold medals is beyond my wildest dreams.” Right beside him on the podium was fellow Brit Uzair Chowdhury, 16, already a double junior European champion in 2024, who took bronze with 77.450. Chowdhury will be one to watch in the parallel bars final, where he starts as a strong favourite.
The trio’s consistency has also earned them spots in nine individual apparatus finals, showcasing not only their technical prowess but their all-round ability and long-term potential. These finals begin on 24 July.
These results are no fluke. All three were part of the British squad that claimed the junior European team title in Rimini last year, alongside Sol Scott and Gabriel Langton. Since then, they’ve continued their rise through the ranks with maturity and poise. In Osijek, they demonstrated clean routines, composure under pressure and the ability to bounce back from errors – all the hallmarks of a well-supported, long-term development pathway.
Watching them perform, it’s impossible not to think of former EYOF alumni like Courtney Tulloch and Brinn Bevan – both of whom used this competition as a springboard to international success. Looking ahead, the Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games could well feature some of these names, now just beginning to carve out their own golden legacy.
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