British gymnasts soar to world-class ranks

The Japanese women’s gymnastics squad punched a ticket to next summer’s Olympic Games after finishing sixth in qualifying for the team event at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Glasgow on Saturday.

“We are really excited to be included in the 2018 European Sports Championships as it represents a huge opportunity for Gymnastics to further raise its profile right across Europe,”, said Georges Guelzec, President of European Gymnastics.

Levya is the talented veteran and former parallel bars world champion who has struggled to rediscover the form that led him to an Olympic all-around bronze medal in 2012.

Now he is focused on repeating his Olympic success in front of his home fans in August 2016. If they remain inside the top eight when qualifying ends on Monday, they’ll earn an automatic spot in the 2016 Olympics.

VisitScotland said that Glasgow’s businesses received a direct economic impact of more than £200 million over the period of the Commonwealth Games, while sport is worth a total of £495m a year to the city. “I think going from that has made each other see what is possible”.

“This is part of our vision of encouraging all European nations to participate in golf, and it is fitting that Gleneagles will host the first staging of this event, having been the venue for last year’s Ryder Cup, when Europe memorably united through team golf”.

Britain came in a narrow fourth behind China, Japan and the U.S.at last year’s world competition, and that was without three-time Olympic medalist Louis Smith, who is back after a sabbatical to extend his run as one of the most elegant pommel horse specialists around.

“Now we are in the position where everyone gets funded”, he said.

“It’s massive, massive, massive inspiration”, said Wilson, now 19 and on the national team.

“I want to stay for as long as I can”, Wilson told The Yorkshire Post.

The European Artistic Gymnastics Championships will be staged in Glasgow at the SSE Hydro while the brand new European Golf team championships will take place at Scotland’s prestigious Gleneagles course.

By this stage it was shaping up to be a tight three-way battle between Purvis, Whitlock and Wilson for the two Great Britain spots in the men’s individual all-around final on Friday. After the success of the London Olympics and Commonwealths, Glasgow is eager to re-embrace the sport, said Councillor Frank McAveety, leader of Glasgow City Council. I think people notice it more because I had that time out, but I’ve always been a consistent gymnast – nine times out of 10, I’ll go through a routine clean – and that’s what I’ve done. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club in St Andrews, Fife, known as the home of golf, a year ago voted to allow women to join for the first time in its 260-year history.

Both Tinkler and Harrold will compete in the all-around, while Ellie Downie was edged out because of a two-person limit even though she placed the 20th overall.

“The men’s program is immensely strong”, Elissa Downie said.