Returning to the XP Gymnastics Nationals as defending champion in both trampoline and synchronised trampoline brings some added pressure for James Dougal, and a challenge he’s looking forward to.

But James hasn’t spent this season trying simply to repeat what he did last year. He has increased his personal best scores in both disciplines and, as part of his continued progression, is now building towards a harder individual routine while developing a new partnership in synchro.

Leading into Nationals, the focus is on building the consistency he needs to compete that increased difficulty successfully.

It’s a familiar process for athletes progressing through the performance pathway – increasing difficulty, building consistency, and continuing to push their performance forward.

His career has already included second and third-place finishes at the World Age Championships in 2015 and 2022, as well as a recent personal-best routine in Portugal.

At Icon Trampoline, James is coached by his mum, Angie Dougal, with a wider performance team supporting his biomechanics, strength and conditioning, and physiotherapy.

Nationals offers James something different to competing overseas too – familiar faces. From the senior athletes through to the younger age groups, it’s a competition where he knows much of the community around him.

And one of his proudest achievements in the sport has a particularly personal connection to Nationals.

Winning the senior men’s trampoline title in 2025 added James’ name to the same trophy as his dad, Justin, who won it in 1996, 1999, and 2000.

This year, James has the opportunity to add his name again, but another title isn’t the only thing he is chasing.

“I would love to be able to compete my harder routine and put down a good score with it, as well as getting a good score for synchro with a new partner. Of course I’d love to retain my titles from last year, but to me winning is not the definition of success for this competition.”

For James, that means arriving at Nationals ready to do more than defend what he achieved last year.

It’s about seeing how much further he can take it.

The 2026 XP Gymnastics Nationals take place during the first week of school holidays at Mercury Baypark, Tauranga, from 29 September–3 October.