Robbed! Heartbreak for GB gymnasts as they are handed historic silver medal then bumped down to bronze after Japanese appeal

By LOUISE ECCLES

Rollercoaster: Top, the Team GB gymnasts celebrate what looks like a silver medal win before, bottom, hearing the Japanese appeal means it is in fact bronze

They blew kisses to the crowd and thumped the air with joy after being crowned Olympic silver medallists.
But within minutes, Britain’s male gymnasts were told there had been a mistake with the score. They had, in fact, won bronze.
The gymnastics team were told they had been downgraded after the Japanese successfully appealed against their own marks.
Japan leaped from fourth to second and China convincingly took the gold.

Bronze medalists Daniel Purvis, Max Whitlock, Louis Smith, Kristian Thomas and Sam Oldham on the podium

Yet, in a display of dignity and sportsmanship, the five stoical young Britons refused to be disappointed and, as they stood on the podium, they kissed their medals and waved to their adoring fans.
It was, after all, the first podium medal for a British gymnastics team for 100 years, since the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.
London 2012 poster boy and Beijing bronze medallist Louis Smith, 23, and his four teammates had entered the North Greenwich Arena with an outside chance of a medal.

Prince William and Prince Harry look tense as they watch a gymnastics final full of twists and turns

But the deafening roars of the home crowd cheered Smith, Daniel Purvis, 21, Max Whitlock, 19, Kristian Thomas, 23, and Sam Oldham, 19, through to a podium position.
The athletes were watched by Prince William and Prince Harry – who sat tensely with their fists in front of their mouths during the final minutes – as the team performed spectacular routines in all six disciplines.
Smith, the captain of the team and a favourite to win a medal later this week on the pommel horse, said: ‘Despite the protesting getting the scoring changed, this is a dream come true for all of us.

Team Japan sit dejected after the initial result places them fourth. After judges spent about five minutes reviewing three-time world champion Kohei Uchimura on the pommel horse, his score was revised and Japan was awarded the silver medal

‘For these guys, it’s their first Olympics, so to get a medal, a bronze medal, is unbelievable.
‘Silver, bronze, it doesn’t matter. Our target was to get fifth in the competition and enjoy the competition. We enjoyed it and we got a bronze medal.’
After a spectacular performance on the floor exercises in the final round, Britain jumped from fourth to second on the scoreboard, causing the 16,000-strong crowd to leap up from their seats in jubilation.

Great Britain gymnast Louis Smith in a star turn on the pommel horse

But after the Japanese believed they had been marked too harshly on the pommel horse, they appealed to judges for a re-mark.
Then came the revelation that there had been an error.
The devastated Ukrainian team, who thought they had won bronze, were relegated to fourth and left empty-handed.
Thomas said: ‘A silver would have been nice but I couldn’t complain at all right now.’

Sir Steve Redgrave, Denise Lewis, Prince William and Prince Harry cheer for the triumphant Team GB gymnasts

His teammate Purvis added: ‘If someone had said to us before the competition we would come away with a bronze, we would be buzzing. Getting a bronze is absolutely amazing.’ After a great performance, Smith now looks in a strong position to take gold in the individual event on the pommel horse.
He has conceived the most difficult 50-second pommel horse routine in the world which, if performed cleanly, should prove unbeatable.

Max Whitlock competes on the pommel horse during the men's team final

And at the British Championships last month, Smith recorded a personal best of 16.375 – one of the highest scores ever for pommel.
The natural showman is known for his outlandish hairstyles and outspoken views, as well as his ability to work the crowd up into a frenzy.
Three years ago, after his success in the individual events at the Beijing Olympics, he decided to pursue his second dream of singing and entered the X Factor.
But his singing failed to impress Cowell and he was not sent through to the next round. He admits he looked ‘like a goon’ and will focus on his sport – for now.
It will come as a relief to his many fans, who waved flags and screamed themselves hoarse during yesterday’s tense competition.

Daniel Purvis of Team GB masters the rings

Spectator Kerstin Wolgast, 34, from the City of London, said: ‘First we expected nothing, then out of nothing we had silver, and then bronze – it was an emotional rollercoaster.’
Her partner John Mills, 45, a former PE teacher, added: ‘It was fantastic. The boys did really well. Talk about home advantage.’
Prime Minister David Cameron announced the team’s success to a huge cheer and applause as he began his speech at a reception at the Royal Academy of Arts in central London last night.

Pixie Lott warms up the crowd prior to the men's team final



source: dailymail