GB gymnasts book London 2012 place
GREAT BRITAIN’S men made it second time lucky by securing their place in style at this summer’s London Olympics after winning the test even at the 02 Arena last night.
The squad required a top four finish to confirm their presence after missing their first chance to cement a London berth at the World Championships in Tokyo, finishing 10th in team qualifying.
Led by 21-year-old Dan Purvis, Dan Keatings, Louis Smith, who won bronze on the pommel horse at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and Max Whitlock, making an eye-catching international debut, Britain finished first with a total of 358.227, comfortably ahead of France on 350.659, Spain with 347.292 and Italy on 346.334, as Canada, Brazil, Puerto Rico and Belarus missed out.
The men’s qualification has ensured there will be a full British complement in artistic gymnastics in London after the women’s team qualified by taking fifth place overall in Tokyo last November.