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Five individuals from Northern Ireland, including three children, are gearing up to participate in the European Sport Stacking Championships taking place next weekend in Spain. The aim is to master speed stacking—a competitive activity involving the rapid stacking and unstacking of specially designed cups arranged in specific sequences. Competitors race either against the clock or other players, aiming to complete sequences involving 9 to 12 cups as fast as possible. These cups feature air holes to facilitate smoother stacking by allowing air to flow through.
Leading the Northern Ireland group is Laura Beacom, a 22-year-old from east Belfast and the reigning European champion. Laura’s enthusiasm for sport stacking was sparked at age 12 when she discovered the activity on YouTube. “I got a set of cups and just started practicing on the carpet of my bedroom and the rest is history,” she recalled. After receiving a set of cups in 2017 that came with an advert about a competition in Glasgow, she persuaded her mother to let her enter, marking the beginning of her competitive journey. Over the years, Laura has triumphed in the 2022, 2023, and 2024 European championships, holds two of the three European records, once held a world record, and finished fifth in the 2025 World Championships.
Laura’s upcoming challenge involves competing in the singles event where she will stack 12 cups in a precise formation, aiming to beat her personal best time of under two seconds. She will also participate in doubles alongside an as-yet unpaired teammate. Highlighting the importance of precision, Laura explained, “Speed is the most important thing but you only get three tries in each event and you need to do well in every event as they add the times together. Consistency is so important as you need to be nailing it every time and hold your nerve.”
The sport has grown considerably over the past decade. When Laura began, only she and her father were involved in the sport. Now, 24 athletes will represent Team GB at the Alicante championship from 17 to 19 April, with five competitors hailing from Northern Ireland. Laura has taken on the role of GB national coach, running after-school clubs near Randalstown. Some of her young trainees, including siblings Logan and Ivy from Randalstown, will be traveling with her to Spain. Their mother Sarah initially thought her daughter’s interest might be temporary but has since seen the family household become fully engaged: “We now have about 20 sets of cups in the house and it’s her biggest fascination. She has her brother involved and her neighbours. Dad has now become head coach in the house, but I refuse to pick up a cup. If they’re not in the house doing it, they’re on the doorstep. There are cups everywhere.”
Ten-year-old Ivy practices daily, dedicating over an hour to improving her skills. She shared, “I started doing it on my granny’s kitchen floor and begged my mum for a timer mat and cup. I’m extremely excited about the European Championships and have started practising non-stop.” Ivy’s enthusiasm has inspired her 11-year-old brother Logan as well as classmates such as Olly, who joined the after-school club led by Laura and will also compete in Spain in both individual and doubles events. Olly remarked, “My first ever cycle at the sport stacking afterschool club was 30 seconds as I had been practising a lot with Ivy. If it’s raining, I practise most of the day.” Laura remains optimistic about the future of sport stacking in Northern Ireland, stating, “I am hoping to start the first Belfast club outside of schools after Easter, so watch this space.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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