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Gold-rush is on for Louis today
Peterborough gymnast Louis Smith is taking his first steps to Olympic glory in Beijing today (August 9).
Peterborough gymnast Louis Smith is taking his first steps to Olympic glory in Beijing today (August 9).The 19 year-old Eye youngster and fellow Hunts Gym Club member Daniel Keatings are currently competing at the National Indoor Stadium in the Chinese capital in a bid to qualify for the men's gymnastics final on Thursday.
Commonwealth gold and world bronze medallist Smith aims to become the first British male gymnast to win a medal at the Olympic Games and has high hopes of twisting, tumbling and tucking his way into the record books.
To reach the final, Smith must perform on six pieces of apparatus – still rings, parallel bars, floor exercise, vault, high bar and pommel horse.
Latest news on Louis Smith and Julie Hollman's progress at peterboroughtoday.co.uk/olympics08
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And while it will be a tall order for Smith to figure in the medal race for the overall title awarded to the best man in all the varied disciplines, the former Arthur Mellows Village College pupil has an excellent chance of placing in the top eight for a spot in the pommel final.
From there, with his proven track record in major events, Smith should be confident of earning a medal but he is only too aware that failure often lies just a split second away."I always feel really confident when I go out to perform and seem to do well when I know all eyes are on me," said Smith.
"But in gymnastics, perhaps more than any other sport, the line between success and failure is very small. I can do a perfect routine and then right at the end get some tiny thing wrong and it is all over.
"It is something you have to get used to and that is why we all train so hard to get it perfect when it matters like here at the Olympics."This is the big one for me, the best gymnasts in the world are here and it is just a great feeling to be involved.
"But despite Smith's understandable reluctance to overstate his chances given the precarious nature of his sport, underneath his cool exterior lies a clear desire to burn his name into British sporting history.He added: "Just being here is great but I would love to make it to the final in the pommel as no British guy has ever even done that.
"From there it is just about getting right on the night. I have a good routine and a few new things I can throw in so I will see. Just getting here is a great achievement but winning a medal here would be something else, it is something I have always dreamed about."
DEEPING'S Julie Hollman is currently at the British athletics team's training camp in Macau but will travel to Beijing on Monday ready for the heptathlon on Friday and Saturday.
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