Tweddle out of asymmetric bars; fights on in floor exercise at World Championships

By Chris Cottrell, Sportsbeat, at the O2 Arena

 BETH Tweddle will be forced to turn her attentions to the floor exercise after a fall in qualifying ruled her out of reaching the asymmetric bars final at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

 CRASHING OUT: Beth Tweddle suffers a fall during asymmetric bars routine and fails to qualify at O2 Arena

The 24-year-old is the reigning European champion in both disciplines and was crowned world champion on the asymmetric bars in 2006 but a fall during her routine at the O2 Arena ensured she collected just 13.85 points and ended her chances of gaining a place in the final.

The Brit fared better on the floor and despite an early stumble recovered to collect 14.075 points, good enough to put her third in qualifying after three of the five groups of competitors.

That will almost certainly be good enough to book her place in Sunday's final but Tweddle is only too aware she must raise her game if she is climb to the top of the world podium on home soil.

"I'm a bit gutted really. I was really looking forward to this so to fall is really disappointing. I knew that it was going to be hard to recover after I fell but you have to carry on so I did my best for the rest of the routine," said Tweddle.

"I'd done everything I could to prepare and training was going really well. It was just one of those things really. To be honest I felt fine during the routine and when I hit the floor I didn't know what to do. I just had to finish it - there was no way round it really.

"I'm sorry to disappoint all the British fans here as well. I'm just going to concentrate on the floor now though and give that my all.

"My floor performance was pretty good. I had a bit of a stumble early on but hopefully I'll be in the top eight and back on Sunday.

"The crowd have been fantastic in support of the British team here though - they've definitely been an inspiration."

Meanwhile fellow Brit Marissa King is keeping her fingers crossed she has done enough to reach the vault final, having chalked up 13.85 points from her two outings.

And the 18-year-old, who captured gold at the British Championships earlier this year, revealed the vociferous home support was key to her performance.

"The atmosphere was great in here and it really inspires me. It's so nice to compete in front of a home crowd like this," she added.

"I haven't competed in an international competition for a while so I wasn't sure how it would go but it was great in the end.

"Definitely hoping I've got into the vault final with those two efforts. I felt pretty relaxed and confident for both so it went really well."