After the historic success of the men’s team, the crowd at the North Greenwich Arena will be hoping Great Britain’s women emulate their team-mates in today’s artistic final.
The increased expectation may worry some people but not Imogen Cairns. The 23-year-old captain was first up for the squad during Sunday’s qualifiers and settled their nerves with a solid routine on the beam.
Cairns, a three-time Commonwealth champion, was inspired by the home crowd and clearly revels in the big events.
“I’m weird that way — with pressure, I seem to perform better,” she said. “I don’t know if that is because I get more nervous and get into the zone but with pressure I definitely reckon I do better.
“I had never competed in front of a home crowd before but I felt I fed off the crowd. Some people try to block it out because it puts them off but I really like the encouragement from it.
“I am just so happy to be here. In 2008, I was 19 and it was my first Olympics, and it was a bit overwhelming for me. But I’m 23 now, I couldn’t quite believe it when they said I was in the squad and I’m absolutely loving it here.”
A couple of months after the Beijing Games, Cairns ‘rolled’ both her ankles when she landed badly while practising her vault.
The damage was so bad she could not walk for six months, had to have two operations on each ankle and was sidelined for a year and a half.
“Being out injured — and being this old — I came back and worked so hard and I just feel I deserve to be here, with all the work I put in,” said Cairns. “I am so happy it worked out that way.”
Cairns is the second veteran in the squad behind Beth Tweddle, 27, while at the other end of the scale there is 15-year-old Rebecca Tunney, 18-year-old Jennifer Pinches and Hannah Whelan, 20.
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This is Britain’s first women’s artistic team final since 1984 and they will do well to medal in an eight-team battle in which the United States and Russia are the favourites.
