British gymnastics needs London-born Courtney Tulloch to become lord of the rings

Louis Smith (left) and Tulloch (right) offer strength in depth.
2015 Getty Images

British gymnastics has never been in such rude health. It has been on a roll since Louis Smith became Britain’s first gymnastics medallist in a century at Olympic level with a bronze at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

Smith was in the first British team to win the European Championships in 2012 and the first British men’s team to seal an Olympic medal in London later that summer.

Max Whitlock eclipsed him to become Britain’s first male gymnastics world champion 12 months ago but has been ruled out of the European Championship, which get under way in Bern, Switzerland, today.

Whitlock is clearly the star of the British team but the fact that his absence has not been quite as keenly felt as it might have been in the past highlights the team’s strength in depth.

To have realistic ambitions for a medal as a team at the Olympics they need Whitlock, who has a virus, back to his best. But his absence in Bern merely paves the way for London-born Courtney Tulloch to step up and make his mark.

(L-R) Louis Smith and Max Whitlock of Great Britain celebrate with a Union Flag during the Artistic Gymnastics Men's Pommel Horse Final on Day 9 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at North Greenwich Arena on August 5, 2012 in London, England.
Getty

While not previously an all-around gymnast, Tulloch became the first Briton into a rings world final in 2014 and the expectation of a medal in Bern is not just realistic but anticipated.

His skill set is such that the former youth Olympic and European junior champion even has a move on the rings named after him, and a medal on that apparatus would soften the blow of Whitlock’s absence.

Britain still have aspirations to defend their European title in the team event over Russia, who were fourth to Britain’s second at last year’s World Championships. Tulloch is the only change from the six available from that line-up.

The nation boasts an overall pool of talent like never before. In part, it is down to team and individual success but the sport’s popularity has been helped by Smith’s victory on Strictly Come Dancing and the celebrity gymnastics programme, Tumble, which has seen British Gymnastics members numbers soar past 250,000.

Star: Louis Smith in Glasgow

While Tumble was axed after just one series, British Gymnastics executive director Mark Gannon praised it for “opening out the sport to wider viewers”, while one of its judges, Craig Heap, remembers a time when he was the sole British competitor at international events as he languished outside the top 30.

In the women’s ranks, Beth Tweddle is credited with the change in global fortunes following her first world title 10 years ago. Colin Still, the former women’s national coach said: “Beth’s victory in 2006 launched our sport. All the other gymnasts looked at that and said, ‘If she can do it, we can’.”

Tweddle’s continued success led to more funding, better coaching and thereby more gymnasts getting a chance to come through the ranks.

Men’s head coach Eddie Van Hoof admits it effectively involved looking at how the Eastern bloc countries had done it and then “found a good balance which suits the British way”.

With four medals for the men at both the World Championships and the last Europeans, the British way is clearly working.

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