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Pommel king: Smith

LOUIS SMITH insists his season has always been about this month’s World Championships as he bids to follow up his European silver with global gold.

The Peterborough-born gymnast became the first Brit in 80 years to get on an Olympic podium when he produced a brilliant pommel horse routine in Beijing last summer, before upgrading to silver at the European Championships in April.

Next month (October 13-18) the 20-year-old Huntingdon Gymnastics Club member will get the chance to add to his impressive CV when the world’s best gymnasts descend on London’s O2 Arena for the World Championships.

And while Smith was delighted with his display in Milan earlier this year he admits this season has been about one thing and one thing only and that’s starring on home soil next month.

“It’s always been about the World Championships,” said Smith. “The worlds and the Europeans were the two tournaments that stood out for me at the start of the season. I’ve done the Euros now and I’m pleased with how that went and it was great to get silver.

“But I’ve been working towards the World Championships for a long while now. I’ve been working on some new combinations on the pommel horse and if I can put that into practice I should have a great tournament.

“The key is mastering them. Some of them I have managed to master, some of them I have not. A couple of months ago I started to master one of them but it would leave me so out of breath.

“The pommel is a strange event because you’re coach can’t really help you when you’re out there or when you’re training – it’s all down to you.

“I’ll be looking for gold and I believe if I can execute my combinations then there’s no reason I can’t do that.”

Despite his success in the Far East, Smith is not yet a household name in the same vein as fellow Olympic stars Sir Chris Hoy, Rebecca Adlington and Christine Ohuruogu.

But with the countdown to the 2012 Olympics well-and-truly on and a bumper crowd expected at the O2 next month, Smith knows the stage is set for that to change.

“The World Championships are now nearly upon us and I just can’t wait. It’s going to be in London – so it’s perfect for us,” he added.

“We don’t get crowds all that big to come and watch us in the UK but it’s fair to say there will be at the World Championships and that’s what makes it special.

“I’ll certainly be doing the pommel horse but I’ve also been spending quite a lot of time focusing on my all around and I really want to do myself justice in that as well.”

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Published: 05 October 2009
Issue: 1392

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