Britain's gymnasts on the rise

Smith (right) leads Britain's promising group of gymnasts in Beijing

By Andrew McKenzie

Not so long ago British gymnastics could be considered a challenger to tennis for the tag of the country's biggest sporting underachievers.

Until 2003 Britain had never had a European or world champion - or even won a medal in 100 years of the World Championships.

But when the gymnastics events in Beijing get under way this weekend there is genuine hope of Britain's first individual Olympic medal at a Games since 1908.

Teenager Louis Smith is one of the exciting young British gymnasts with a chance of ending the long wait.

He was the first British male to win a World Championship medal when he claimed bronze on the pommel horse last year.

GB GYMNASTICS A government survey in 2007 found 95% of schools in the country offer gymnastics to children - behind only football (98%) and dance (96%) Gymnastics has been at every Olympics since Athens in 1896 Britain has sent a team to every Games, but has had more success in tug of war and water polo than gymnastics Walter Tysal won Britain's only individual Olympic medal when he took silver in the all-around competition in 1908 The men's team won bronze in 1912 and the women's team did likewise in 1928, but nothing since then

"The plans I laid out were for the 2012 Olympics because he will be at the age when you expect him to peak," he told BBC Sport. "So this has come along as a bit of a bonus.

"The overriding goal is to use this as a valuable experience for 2012. Most people who win medals have experienced an Olympics before and that is going to be very important for Louis."

Hall has overseen Smith's progression over the past 12 years, since he followed his elder brother into the gym in Huntingdon.

"Our relationship has changed over a number of years," he added. "It's very exciting and a big pleasure for me to see that growth.

"He won the Junior European Championships on pommel horse at 14 and I think then I began to realise he had a special talent and a real ability to perform under pressure.Then he won it again at 16.

"He got his bronze in the World Championships and it was only last year that we began to think of the Olympic Games."

Smith is an unusual build for a gymnast, but his long limbs serve him well in his specialist event.

However, it is his ability to perform under pressure that could prove the key to his hopes in China.

"It is something else to be able to stand up in front of thousands of people and with the television cameras there, having to produce your best routine at that moment," added Hall.

"He has done a really good job at most internationals over the last few years and that is a real special quality."

But Smith is far from Britain's only gymnastic hope in Beijing.

His Huntingdon club-mate Daniel Keatings, only 18, will go from close pal to friendly rival when the competition begins.

Smith (centre) was chosen to model the British Olympic uniform with Mark Foster and Katy Livingstone

"They are under no illusions. They are going to Beijing with the target of going through a clean routine. Anything that happens as a result of that will be a bonus.

"It's not a goal of ours to get a medal, but they have been on the world circuit for over a year now and produced results that have put them in top eight in many competitions. So there's always chances.

"But it is very intense pressure and their main target is to be able to deliver their routines and what comes out of that is up to the other competitors."

Beijing is the first taste of Olympic action for Smith and Keatings, but it presents a last chance for Beth Tweddle to add to her collection.

Britain's best ever gymnast paved the way for the new generation with a bronze at the worlds in 2003 and then gold in 2006.

In China she will be joined by her successor as British champion, Becky Downie, along with King, Hannah Whelan, Imogen Cairns and Rebecca Wingin in a full women's team in the competition.

"It is all very promising for British gymnastics," said Christine Still, who will be the BBC's expert in Beijing. "I'm absolutely excited. Certainly on the women side it's the best team we have had.

"There is still plenty of work to be done but this team qualified for the team final at the World Championships last year, which was the first time ever.

"If they can do that again it would be absolutely fantastic, I think it will be tough but they are a well-balanced team."

Both Hall and Still agree that the recent progress made in international competitions is just the start of things to come.

"Gymnastics is definitely on the up," said Hall. "We have a great national team now. There is a great sense of purpose - everyone is working towards 2012."

606: DEBATE Could Louis Smith grab a medal in Beijing? Andrew M - BBC Sport

Still, who is one of the country's leading coaches, believes the talent has always been there but we are only now starting to see the benefits of increased funding.

"We have a very well developed club structure in gymnastics," she said. "It's probably one of the most popular sports for young children.

"We always produce lots of good gymnasts. Every year the British Championships throws up 12-20 children from each age group with potential to be world-class gymnasts.

"What we didn't do was put the icing on the cake and have absolutely excellent gymnasts.

"But the funding from the National Lottery and UK Sport over the last few years has enabled talented coaches and gymnasts the chance to train in situations where they can work one-to-four, as opposed to where you had to have enough kids in the gym to pay the hall fees.

"The very best coaches don't have those restraints any more and I think this is just the start."

Christine Still's guide to Britain's medal hopes

"The Chinese are absolutely world renowned and on home turf are likely to be firing on all cylinders.

"The hardest part for any of our gymnasts will be reaching the final. Competition is tough but when you get that far there are only eight in it and anything can happen."

Beth Tweddle
"We are very hopeful she will make the final on asymmetric bars and possibly the floor. Beth has been world champion on the bars so has that experience behind her and a good chance."

Becky Downie
"We are hopeful Becky, who is the new British champion, will make the top 24 in the all-around finals. She also has an outside chance on asymmetric bars."

Daniel Keatings
"He has a chance of making the all-around final. Him and Louis are both very young, in fact Daniel competed in the junior Europeans and won it, but they both have a very good chance of making the pommel horse final."

Louis Smith
"Louis has medalled at senior level on the pommel horse so there is no doubt he has the pedigree, like Daniel, but other countries will look at their own gymnasts thinking the same."

The men's qualifying for artistic gymnastics gets under way on 9 August, with the women starting a day later. The finals start on 13 August and are on every day until 19 August.