OLYMPICS LONDON 2012: Bronze is dream come true for men's gymnasts

By Sean-Paul Doran, Sportsbeat, London 2012

GREAT Britain men’s artistic gymnasts have described their historic bronze medal as ‘a dream come true’ after securing Team GB’s third medal of London 2012.

HISTORIC BRONZE: Louis Smith and Kristian Thomas powered Team GB to fantastic bronze

Louis Smith, Daniel Purvis, Sam Oldham, Kristian Thomas and Max Whitlock produced a stunning performance to pick up Britain’s first team gymnastics medal in a century.

And the history-makers struggled to describe their feelings after picking up the bronze, despite not being considered as serious medal contenders in a strong final.

“The whole situation hasn’t sunk in, it’s unbelievable,” said Louis Smith, a pommel horse bronze medallist in Beijing.

“Our targets were to come top five and to enjoy the competition and we enjoyed it; it was fantastic and we’ve got a bronze medal out of it.”

Team GB looked to have secured the silver medal after a superb performance in a nerve-wracking end, but a successful Japanese appeal against a controversial pommel horse score knocked the Brits into third.

And star performer Kristian Thomas was delighted to have secured a medal of any colour after rounding off a superb couple of days for British gymnastics.

“It’s an Olympic medal at the end of the day. It’s what dreams are made of and here I am right now standing with a bronze. Silver would have been nice but I couldn’t complain at all,” said the Olympic Games debutant.

“We had the home crowd getting right behind us, we’re in London, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and I think we really have made the most of it.”

The gold medal was claimed by China, who Team GB had bettered in the qualifying heat, and the Brits refused to be downhearted despite coming close to an unprecedented silver.

“I don’t feel too bad about not getting a silver, just getting a bronze is absolutely amazing,” said Daniel Purvis after his fantastic floor routine scored 15.533 to put his side firmly on their way to Olympic success.

“If someone had said before the competition that you are going to come away with a medal you would have been buzzing so just to get a bronze is just a dream come true for everyone.”

© Sportsbeat 2012