William Emard of Laval, Que., continued his standout week at the 2025 FISU Games by earning bronze in the men’s all-around artistic gymnastics final on Friday night in Essen, Germany.
The UQAM student posted a total score of 81.732 across six apparatus to place third overall, behind Japan’s Daiki Hashimoto (84.265) and Shohei Kawakami (83.398). Emard’s top scores came on floor (14.200), rings (14.133) and vault (13.900), demonstrating his consistency and power on the international stage.
“With the team medal, we’ve had a couple of events in the past few years that have been really memorable. I think about worlds in 2023 when we qualified a full team for the first time in 20 years, the Pan Am Games when we finished second, and the Olympics when we finished eighth — the best result ever — but this one (men’s all-around final) is more personal,” said Emard.
“Yes, we finished second as a team and I’m part of that team, but being third all-around at the university games is really something special. It’s been a rough couple of years for me on a personal level. The results were not there. There were injuries and bad results, so this was really a special moment for me.”
The all-around podium finish adds to the silver medal Emard helped Canada win earlier in the week in the men’s team event — the country’s best-ever result in FISU artistic gymnastics team competition.
Emard was joined in the final by teammate Ioannis Chronopoulos of Milton, Ont., who placed 11th with a score of 77.899. The University of Nebraska gymnast delivered strong routines on vault (13.500) and rings (13.333) to cap an impressive FISU Games debut.
Emard will compete again Saturday in the men’s rings individual apparatus final.