2025 University Games Gymnastics: MAG Performances

The FISU University Games was one of the most anticipated events of 2025 in the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics competitions. This article provides a detailed review of the University Games Gymnastics event, offering in-depth analysis of the performances, focusing on difficulty, execution, averages and totals. Scores will be dissected, rankings will be examined and we’ll explore the nuances of the competition format. Whether you’re a seasoned gymnastics enthusiast or a newcomer to the sport, this article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the action and highlight the performances displayed by the athletes.

The Gymnasts

The University Games Gymnastics competition included – among others – the following male gymnasts:
– Hashimoto Daiki (JPN): 2020 AA and HB Olympic Champion, 2022 & 2023 AA and 2023 HB World Champion
– Liu Yang (CHN): 2020 and 2024 SR Olympic Champion, 2014 and 2023 SR World Champion
– Oka Shinnosuke (JPN): 2024 AA and HB Olympic Champion
– Luke Whitehouse (GBR): 2023, 2024 and 2025 FX European Champion
– Hamlet Manukyan (ARM): 2025 PH European Champion

Highest Difficulty, Execution and Total Scores

Some gymnasts either approached or exceeded the highest total scores recorded in 2025 at FIG Men’s ARtistic Gymnastics international competitions:
– Top score FX: 14.600 by Yahor Sharamkou | BLR | Baku World Cup
– Top score PH: 14.966 reached by Mamikon Khachatryan at the UG
– Top score SR: 14.933 by Lan Xingyu | CHN | Asian Games
– Top score VT: 14.933 by Artur Davtyan | ARM | Osijek World Cup
– Top score PB: 14.966 reached by Oka Shinnosuke at the UG
– Top score HB: 15.233 by Tang Chia-hung | TPE | Asian Games

All-Around Competition Review

University Games Gymnastics All Around – Men’s Competition

The three graphs presented above illustrate an alternative approach to analyzing the All Around competition. They help in comprehending how results on each apparatus in Men’s Artistic Gymnastics impact their overall ranking. Each curve represents the Difficulty and Execution scores attained by the 18 gymnasts who participated in the All Around, highlighting the significant disparities across apparatuses. Furthermore, it shows that each gymnast must navigate a multitude of criteria: balancing Difficulty and Execution for each event in accordance with their individual strengths, while striving to minimize errors.

Nearly tho-thirds of the gymnasts had lower scores in the All Around final compared to their results in Qualifications. The biggest drop (-3.334) was by Mattia Piffarati, mostly due to falls on Pommel Horse. William Émard (CAN) was among the 7 gymnasts with a higher total score in the All Around. He improved his score by +2.100, which put him in 3rd place. He increased his FX score by +1.600, and most of his other scores by +0.2 on average. William eventually won 3 medals at the 2025 University Games Gymnastics competition: bronze in the All Around and on Parallel Bars and silver in the Teams Final.

Teams Competition Review

A total score is the result (and the balance) of the difficulty and execution scores. In the Teams Final, Japan was the sole nation to achieve an average D score exceeding 5.0 across all events, with an exceptional average of 6.0 on the Horizontal Bar. They had the highest average D score on each apparatus (tie with the US on PH and with Switzerland and South Korea on VT). This height of difficulty and solid execution scores in all events except for PH facilitated the Japanese gymnasts’ domination. They won the competition with a margin of 12.4 points.

In terms of execution, Spain achieved the highest score, despite concluding in fifth position. They recorded the highest average execution score on the Pommel Horse, an apparatus that presented – shocker – significant challenges in this competition, and the second highest on Parallel Bars.

>Are E Scores from the 2025 University Games gymnastics competition telling us how other meets get judged?

The data presented above illustrates the average scores achieved by the gymnasts in the leading eight teams for each apparatus at the University Games gymnastics team competition. It also serves as a reliable indicator of the execution scores typically attained by athletes in various Men’s Artistic Gymnastics competitions.
General deductions (including form, control, technique, amplitude, and body lines) are consistent across the six apparatus; however, certain criteria distinctly influence the determination of the execution score:

• duration of the routine: the longer the routine, the more likely gymnasts can get deductions
• fall: probability of falls depending on the structure of the apparatus
• continuity: the construction of the routine varies by event, with some requiring a different level of rhythm and sequence
• landing: the likelihood of errors during landing varies across apparatus, influenced by the momentum at the time of landing

Penalties

Stuck Landings

The newly established regulation in the 2025-2028 Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Code of Points sets clear guidelines for the execution of stuck landings. It applies to Vault, the final pass on Floor, and for dismounts on Rings, Parallel Bars, and High Bar (elements C+). This undeniably incentivizes gymnasts to achieve a perfect landing. In total, at the 2025 University Games Gymnastics competition, 87 stuck landings were recorded, with five gymnasts successfully completing their landings flawlessly on more than 4 occasions, and up to six for Daiki.

Among the top eight teams in this ranking, the following gymnasts have garnered the most +0.1 bonuses:

The 2025 FISU University Games Gymnastics competition is one of the rare transcontinental events of the year where the All-Around and Teams competitions can be regarded as a preview of the impending 2025 World Championships in Jakarta. Nevertheless, certain nations, including China, the USA, Great Britain, and Türkiye, did not dispatch their prominent gymnasts, and several major athletes anticipated to contend for world medals, such as Carlos Yulo, Tang Chia-hung, Artem Dolgopyat, Milad Karimi, Gabriele Targhetta, Eleftherios Petrounias, Artur Davtyan, and Carlo Macchini, didn’t compete.

This competition served as a noteworthy exhibition of both established talents, including Olympic and World champions, and emerging gymnasts on the international stage. It presented an excellent opportunity for athletes and coaches to assess the new 2025-2028 Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Code of Points in a significant competitive environment, necessitating strategic considerations and compositional elements to enhance final scores.

More info:

2025 FISU University Games Gymnastics

Other competitions recaps