2024 iF3 World Championships

The event started on Thursday evening with the opening ceremony. Over 800 excited athletes gathered for something truly special. Being able to walk out into the arena of competition with the crowd and the big screen was inspirational. The banners adorned with “HISTORY IN THE MAKING” were everywhere to be seen, and that phrase was used in the Team UK meeting that followed.

We were unsure of how well the organisation would stand up to such a packed schedule, but we all breathed a collective sigh of relief when the heats of the first two events started on time. Early heats were not without controversy, with some of the bike ergs producing impossible split times. After two heats, Team UK lodged a complaint with the organisers. The issue was dealt with swiftly, and we later learned that the Swedish federation had already made the complaint, even though it positively benefited their competitor—a mark of true sportsmanship from the Swedes!

Day One

Friday was an early start for Team UK, with Charlotte Doig kicking us off at 7:30 am for the endurance test, closely followed by Marie Coultas in Heat 2. In the Junior Male 15–16 category, three athletes — Ben Milner, Jack Lydon, and Lewin Tabuna — represented Team UK in the mixed modal test, with Lewin comfortably winning the heat and Jack placing third.

Ben Cole, Harry Missin, and Josh McPeake in the U20 Men’s division tackled the mixed modal test, with Harry securing a well-deserved second-place finish. Josh (5th) and Ben (9th) both achieved top-10 placements. Magda Rotsztejn began her campaign with the endurance test before all the junior girls competed in the mixed modal. Tasia Reeds earned her best finish with second place in the U20 Female division. Reon, being our youngest competitor, had a strong start in the U12 Female category, gaining second place and her best individual finish. Isla Hill, Ella Henry, and Evie Dixon also got their competition underway. Hannah Wendt secured third place in the mixed modal, and Molly Butcher placed sixth in a field of 26 in the U18 division. The Team UK U16 girls began their dominance with a first place for Keira McManus and fourth for Ava Rose Male in the mixed modal.

Athletes who had completed one event switched to their second tests. Charlotte, Marie, and Magda took on the mixed modal, with Marie achieving an event win in a ring muscle-up test! Junior females moved to the endurance test, with a standout performance by Keira, who claimed another event win. The junior males faced the gruelling endurance test, with notable second-place finishes for Ben Cole in the U20 and Lewin in the U16.

The afternoon saw the open division, team, and masters male athletes take the floor. David Doig competed in the 60–65M category, followed by Andy Byron and Troy Smith (55–59), Richard Vint (45–49), Richard Barnes (40–45), Paul Mellors & Matt Tyler (35–39), and Jamie Warr & Steven Turnbull (30–35). Rich Vint delivered a fine display in the mixed modal for his first event win. The Team UK team—comprising Kirsten Walker, Helen Nutter, Philroy Peters, and Harry Kean—started their weekend with a rowing and bike test. In the open female division, Georgia Davenport, Ella Wilkinson, and Anita McCartney began with the mixed modal, with Ella earning a hard-fought second place. In the open male division, Tom Kingdon and Ben Woodcock completed their first tests.

The competition floor was split into two sections, with the male masters moving to the endurance test. Rich Vint delivered another dominant performance for his second event win of the day and secured the overnight lead. The team faced a relay-style event with an ascending ladder of overhead squats and burpees over the worm, earning their second fourth-place finish of the day.

Day Two

Another early start saw the field split into two sections for a bodyweight test and a strength test. Masters women started with the bodyweight test, where Marie secured third place, while Charlotte achieved her best event result with a second place.

The junior girls faced the strength test with mixed results. Reon competed against girls a year older but held her own. Ella Henry achieved an event win, while Isla and Evie tied for third. The U16 Girls—Keira and Ava—tied for first place, mirroring the U16 Boys duo of Lewin and Jack, who also shared the top spot.

The divisions switched fields, with the masters females moving to the strength test. Charlotte and Magda both secured third places. The juniors took on the bodyweight test, marking the final event for Reon and Isla. Reon placed third, securing her podium position as second in the world. Isla also achieved a podium finish in second place, though a disappointing tenth place in event four cost her the top spot.

In the U16 Girls division, Ava and Keira excelled in the bodyweight test, securing second and third places, respectively, while Hannah earned an event win in the U18 division. Ben Milner achieved his best event finish with fifth, and Lewin continued his strong showing with a third.

In the afternoon, the masters men and open categories took to the floor. David Doig started the day strong with a second-place finish in the strength test. Andy Byron and Troy Smith secured second and third places, respectively, keeping them in contention. Rich Vint earned a third place, while Richard Barnes achieved his best result of the weekend with sixth in the strength test.

The team faced a challenging bodyweight test, with synchro movements proving tough for a scratch team that had trained together only once. Despite this, they fought hard for a mid-field fifth-place finish.

In the U20 Males division, Josh McPeake secured third place in the bodyweight test, while Harry Missin claimed an event win. Jamie Warr earned third place in the strength test. In the open male category, Ben and Tom couldn’t make significant gains in the bodyweight test, while Ella Wilkinson achieved the best result for the open females with fifth place.

The team’s strength test sparked some controversy, as the female barbells were loaded lighter than programmed. Despite raising the issue beforehand, the team’s concerns were not addressed. The test—featuring snatches and thrusters—was fast and intense, with the team finishing in third place.

The masters men switched to the bodyweight test in the afternoon, while the open divisions tackled the strength test. Tom Kingdon had high hopes for the snatch, hang snatch, and overhead squat combo. However, a costly miss on the hang snatch in the EMOM format put him under pressure, leading to a lower weight than expected.

The day concluded with Team UK coming together on the floor in their Defiant Co. team kit to celebrate podium finishes by Reon and Isla.

Day Three

The final day began with one field of play for the bodyweight test. The U16 Girls, Keira and Ava, excelled once more, placing second and third. Hannah secured third, keeping her podium hopes alive. The U16 Boys faced challenges but showed their well-rounded skills with top-10 finishes. Rich Vint struggled with the handstand pirouette, dropping him out of the top spot for the first time all weekend. Anita McCartney delivered her best event performance with fourth place, while Tom Kingdon recovered from earlier setbacks to secure third place in the event.

The team performed well in the mixed relay, achieving their best event finish with second place.

The final event—a power test with shuttle runs, deadlifts, and bike erg calories—proved to be a nail-biter. The U16 Girls started strong, with Keira earning her fourth event win, capping off a dominant performance. Hannah did enough to secure her podium spot, but with many points and positions shifting, it was a tense moment for Team UK management as scores were finalised. Jack Lydon delivered a second event win but narrowly missed a podium spot. Lewin, needing a solid result, secured third to claim the top spot.

Magda equaled her best result with a third place, while David Doig achieved his best finish with an event win. Rich Vint rebounded from his earlier setback to claim his third event win and the top podium spot. Jamie Warr delivered an impressive event win, while Matt Tyler and Paul Mellors tied for third in their division.

The team’s final event demanded strategic decision-making. With the top five teams closely matched, Team UK gambled by having the male athletes complete the snatches. This strategy initially gave them a lead, but the worm portion proved challenging, and other teams eventually overtook them. Despite this, Team UK delivered a valiant effort, finishing within an 80-point spread of the top five teams.

In the U20 division, Ben Cole’s third-place finish secured him fifth overall. Josh and Harry also achieved top-10 finishes, while Tasia placed a commendable seventh. Ella Wilkinson secured an event third to claim second in the world.

The final heat of the final event saw Tom Kingdon deliver a second-place finish, which appeared to secure him the title. However, an appeal by the Swiss team, regarding a recorded time, was upheld, awarding their athlete the win and pushing Tom to second place by a single point.

The competition concluded with podium presentations, where Team UK Juniors were crowned top Junior Team.

Overall Results

Team UK achieved:

• Top Junior Nation
• 3 World Champions
• 4 Second Places
• 3 Third Places

World Champions

• Keira McManus
• Lewin Tabuna
• Richard Vint

Podium Athletes

• Ella Wilkinson (2nd)
• Tom Kingdon (2nd)
• Marie Coultas (2nd)
• Reon T (2nd)
• Isla Hill (2nd)
• Ava Rose Male (3rd)
• Hannah Wendt (3rd)
• David Doig (3rd)

Athlete Reflections from the iF3 World Championships

Reon T (Our Youngest Athlete, Second Place, Junior Female <12)

The whole experience was pretty cool! Not every day people get to represent their country at the age of 11. I couldn’t stop smiling when they called ‘Reon,’ I was like yep, that is me! It wasn’t just the podium win—I met lots of new friends. Some could speak perfectly in English then turn to their friends and speak in a language I didn’t understand—it was crazy. I hope to see them again! Overall, it was an exciting weekend!

Richard Vint (World Champion, Master Male 45–49)

It was an awesome experience. The competition was as professional as it gets and had a great atmosphere with all the countries supporting their athletes. I really enjoyed being part of Team UK—the athletes, coaches, and support were amazing and something to be proud of. Getting to see all the British athletes make the podium, and standing there with the national anthem playing, felt surreal and was a great finish to an incredible few days. I met some fantastic people and really enjoyed the whole experience.

David Doig (Our Oldest Athlete, Third Place, Master Male 60–65)

The event was super special. Being part of Team UK was an honour, and being able to stand on the podium with the Union Jack was very emotional. The event itself ran very well and was professional throughout. From tough but fair judges; hard, testing events and movements; strong, fit international competitors; an excellent venue; and opening and closing ceremonies that made it feel special and Olympian.

Big up to all of Team UK—athletes, managers, coaches, assistants, and fans (parents and friends). We all seemed to blend together seamlessly: happy, supportive, inspiring, and friendly.

And to do it all with my wife, Charlotte, made it all the more special. I am very proud of her—4th in the world.

To sum the event up, there is one word: Awesome! Loved it.

Lewin Tubuna (World Champion, Junior Male 15-16)

It was a very unique experience competing at Super Worlds. The team aspect was something I found very special. Having each other to celebrate great moments with was such a morale boost throughout the weekend.

Standing on top of the podium was a proud moment for me. Knowing the work I’d put in had paid off, and being able to represent my country to the best of my ability was even better.

Tom Kingdon (Second Place, Senior Male)

I enjoyed the style of tests and how the competition was run all together!

Standing on the podium felt like a big accomplishment. Excited to go for the number one spot next year.

Keira McManus (World Champion, Junior Female 15-16)

The experience for me was amazing! The competition was so good because you were able to meet so many like-minded people who all love the sport and share that common interest!

I felt so much pride to be part of Team UK and to represent my country!

To finish the year by standing on the podium at the iF3 was a dream come true, and I would like to thank BF3 for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the team!