Spelbound tell Simon Cowell that medals come first

By James Toney, Sportsbeat

SIMON Cowell may be used to getting his way but Britain's Got Talent winners Spelbound have told him that winning medals comes first over fame and fortune.

SPLIT LOYALTIES: Spelbound members will form a large part of the British team at next month's World Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships but their preparations could be hit by a 15-date nationwide tour

The high-flying act said they only entered the ITV show to raise the profile of acrobatic gymnastics in a bid to get it recognised as an Olympic sport.

While since winning they have been hyped as potential stars of the London 2012 opening ceremony.

However, there's nothing primetime about the Polish town of Wroclaw, venue of next month's Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships.

British champions Adam McAssey, Adam Buckingham, Alex Uttley and Jonathan Stranks will compete in the men's four while Ed Upcott and Doug Fordyce go for gold in the pairs event.

Leighanne Cowler, Lauren Kemp, and Hollianne Wood, who only won silver at the British Championships, will compete in the age-group event, alongside women's pair Abigail Ralph and Amy Mackenzie.

Coached by Neil Griffiths and Nicola Yellop at Spelthorne Elite Acrobatics club, they know the rest of the world will be looking to bring the reality TV stars back to reality in Poland.

However, preparations for the championships clash with this month's Britain's Got Talent tour - which takes in 15 dates across the country before concluding with a closing night at London's o2 arena, coincidentally the venue for the London 2012 artistic gymnastics event.

The tour finishes on July 11th, five days after the championships officially begin with junior events. 

However, British Gymnastics are working hard to satisfy all parties with Spelbound - as Britain's Got Talent winners - legally committed to headline the tour, which starts in Manchester next week.

Gymnastic clubs local to each tour stop will allow Spelbound members to rehearse their respective World Championships routines, before going on stage later in the evening.

"We are confident there will be no compromise on World Championship preparations," said a British Gymnastics spokesman.