Thomas delivers as Great Britain claim historic European team gymnastics title

Posted: Saturday 26th May 2012 | 21:59

GREAT Britain claimed team gold medal for the first time ever at the men's European Gymnastics Championships.

Hopes were high in Montpellier after they qualified in first place and the team of Daniel Purvis, Kristian Thomas, Louis Smith, Ruslan Panteyleymonov and Max Whitlock duly delivered with the pressure on.

And Thomas held his nerve of the final apparatus, the high bar, to secure victory with Great Britain banking 266.296 points to see off nearest challengers Russia and Romania.

"I didn't know what score I needed on the high bar, I just knew I needed to go clear," said Thomas.

"We've worked so hard in the gym to prepare for days like this and with the support of the lads I managed to pull through, we're so proud."

Selectors will now face some tough choices before the London 2012 Olympics, with former all-round world silver medallist Daniel Keatings and Youth Olympic champion Sam Oldham both absent from the winning team through injury.

"It's really important step looking ahead to London, and a fantastic achievement," said British performance director Tim Jones, who also saw his junior team win gold.

"There will be a lot of people who thought they would never see this day and to have both the junior and seniors as champions of Europe is a tremendous result."