LONDON 2012: Upbeat Smith insists he's never felt more prepared ahead of Olympic challenge

Posted: Thursday 12th July 2012 | 17:57

LOUIS Smith doesn't get star struck and he also tries his best to treat the London 2012 Olympics just like any other competition.

AMBITION: Louis Smith became the first British male gymnast to win an Olympic gold in 100 years in Beijing - he wants to upgrade his pommel horse bronze at London 2012 (Getty Images)

But as he prepares to move into his apartment in the Olympic village, he won't be able to miss the very large reminder that this is not just any event.

Splashed six storeys high on the Westfield shopping centre, which sits alongside the Olympic Park, is the image of Britain's first male gymnastics medallist in a century.

Dressed in his Olympic kit, he stares down on the crowds, who stare up in hopeful admiration.

But the 23-year old insists the hype won't faze him as he looks to improve on his Beijing pommel horse bronze on home soil.

"I'm feeling really confident and personally, all the preparation has been brilliant, it couldn't have gone better," he insisted.

"I've got some creases to iron out and some tweaks to make but mentally I feel sharper than I did in Beijing and I know that I'm ready now.

"The national championships was a really big boost because I nailed my routine there.

"We've had an intense couple of weeks training at Lilleshall and the whole thing is starting to feel very real now.

"And every day I feel our training sessions improve, everything is looking positive."

However, Smith admits the absence of training partner Dan Keatings was hard to take, after the former world all-around silver medallist was omitted from Team GB after struggling with injuries.

"We've trained together and been friends since we were ten," he added.

"It's unfortunate but his attitude has been first-class. He's the reserve so is still training hard and maintaining his fitness level, while having to deal with the blow of not making the team."