Beth Tweddle claims double gold at Europeans

GREAT Britain's Beth Tweddle struck double gold on the final day of the European Gymnastics Championships in Milan.

DOUBLE GOLD: Beth Tweddle bounced back from a disappointing Olympics with an impressive performance in Milan (Getty Images)

The 24-year old took both the floor and asymmetric bars titles as Britain concluded the event with five medals, a record return.

Elsewhere, Olympic bronze medallist Louis Smith won silver in the pommel horse final while all-round silver medallist Daniel Keatings added a bronze to his collection in the same event.

But the headlines will rightly belong to Tweddle, who had flirted with retirement following Beijing before refocusing her sights on the 2012 Olympics in London.

"It is nice to be back," said Tweddle, who won the world and European title on the bars three years ago.

"Since 2006 I have had my share of fourth positions, and all week I have been so focused on getting everything right. I think it was pure determination that got me through."

Tweddle's dedication to the cause was praised by coach Amanda Kirby.

She was devastated after her fourth place at last year's Olympics but showed her commitment to resume training just a few weeks later.

"I'm amazed by the courage Beth has shown every day to keep going at 100 percent," she said.

"I get my appreciation every time she comes into the gym and completes the training. She is a brilliant champion."

In the bars final, top qualifier Tweddle defeated defending champion Ksenia Semyonova, the all-around champion on Saturday, with a slick and difficult routine and precision dismount.

Semyonova took silver with Germany's Anja Brinker taking bronze.

And she was also dominant in the floor final as Italy's Vanessa Ferrari took silver and Semyonova added to her collection with bronze.

Holland's Krisztian Berki edged Smith and Keatings down the podium in the pommel final - his third consecutive European title.

Team-mate Yuri van Gelder won the men's rings while all-around champion Fabian Hambüchen won the floor exercise gold.

Ariella Käslin, who won the Swiss women's first European medal with the all-around bronze, went two better by winning the gold on vault while Britain's Becky Downie finished sixth.

Rising star Yana Demyanchuk, of the Ukraine, caused an upset when she won balance beam gold, defeating Romania's Anamaria Tamarjan and Gabriela Dragoi.

Elsewhere, France's Thomas Bouhail and Yann Cucherat took their first European titles in the vault and parallel bars respectively while Greek veteran Vlasios Maras reclaimed the title on high bar that he won in 2002, 2004 and 2006.