Loughborough-based gymnast Sam Oldham completed Great Britain’s European Championship medal haul with silver in the men’s high bar.
20-year old Oldham, who trains at the Loughborough Gymnastics Centre, scored 15.133 in the final round in Moscow, Russia, just losing out to home favourite Emin Garibov (15.433) who claimed the gold medal.
It has been Team GB’s most successful European Championships, with five medals in total from the five days of competition. Max Whitlock previously took gold on floor, bronze on the parallel bars and bronze in the all-round competition, whilst Dan Keatings took gold on the pommel horse.
Former World Championship all-round silver medallist Keatings missed London 2012 through injury and was competing in place of Louis Smith and Whitlock, the Olympic pommel horse silver and bronze medallists from London. Oldham, Whitlock and Daniel Purvis were actually the only three remaining members squad that claimed Olympic bronze in the men’s team gymnastics event.
After receiving his medal, Oldham told the BBC, “I'm not going to lie Saturday was really difficult because really I should have taken a medal (on the floor) so I was pretty disappointed… I'm so pleased to have my own senior medal now and to have that under my belt is great for the future."
However, it was not such a successful competition for Great Britain’s women’s squad. After coming back from a serious Achilles’ tendon injury in 2011, Rebecca Downie qualified in second for the women’s uneven bars final alongside compatriot sixteen-year old Ruby Harrold. Both unfortunately slipped off the bars during their final routine, finishing seventh and eighth respectively.
