Guatemalan gymnast Jaycko Bourdet will take a historic step in his career this weekend by making his debut in the Gymnastics World Cup to be held from May 9 to 12 in Varna, Bulgaria.
The national team traveled on Sunday, May 3, with his Argentine coach Benjamín Paz to take advantage of the official training sessions and fine-tune the final details before a competition that will bring together more than 100 athletes from 30 countries, including world-class figures such as the British Max Whitlock, three-time Olympic champion.
Bourdet will compete on four apparatus: floor, vault, parallel bars and pommels, which represents her official entry into the international gymnastics elite after her recent promotion to the senior category. The Guatemalan arrives in Bulgaria with the support of an outstanding performance at the 2025 Central American Games where he won four gold medals and two silver medals, in addition to adding a gold and a silver medal at the Ayacucho-Lima 2025 Bolivarian Games, results that position him as one of the most important figures in Central American gymnastics today.
Coach Paz highlighted the work done since January to arrive in the best conditions for this World Cup. “The work has been hard. Since January we have not stopped to arrive in good condition to this World Cup, to the Pan American Championship in June and to the Central American and Caribbean Games,” explained the Argentine, who also pointed out that the last few weeks have been focused on internal controls and technical adjustments with the aim of achieving a solid presentation in Bulgaria.
The excitement of debut
For Bourdet, this competition represents much more than a sporting result. “It’s my first World Cup and I feel a little nervous, but motivated. My goal is to gain experience and continue learning, beyond seeking a medal,” expressed the Guatemalan, who is aware of the high competitive level that he will find in Varna but who aspires to qualify for the finals and face the best in the world in his debut in the international elite.
The competition calendar includes official training on May 7 and the podium test on the 8th, with qualifications taking place on May 9 and 10 and the finals scheduled for May 11 and 12.
The Varna World Cup marks the beginning of Bourdet’s international calendar in 2026 and represents the first major test of a year that also includes the Pan American Championships in June and the Central American and Caribbean Games, where the Guatemalan gymnast will seek to repeat the performances that have catapulted him as one of the great promises of chapín sport at the international level.