Folwell ready for more after team silver medal

HUNTINGDON’S Luke Folwell was “over the moon” after helping England claim silver in the men’s team gymnastics event at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi on Monday.

HUNTINGDON’S Luke Folwell was “over the moon” after helping England claim silver in the men’s team gymnastics event at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi on Monday.

It was nearly even better for Folwell and his team-mates, who looked to be on their way to gold heading into the final stages, before rivals Australia nipped in to relegate England into second place.

Ecstatic Folwell, 23, said: “It’s hard to take it all in, but I’m sure it will sink in over the next few days.

“We knew the Australians were strong on the rings and we had a strong pommel.

“Unfortunately we carried the falls which knocked us down, but it’s a hard competition and we’ve come away with a silver medal.”

Folwell — who has two more chances of medals — opened the England team’s medal bid on the rings and the vault, contributing 14.550 and 15.250 points towards the team total of 256.750, which was beaten by the Australians with 259.050.

Folwell’s performance also means he qualified in third ahead of today’s (Wednesday) individual all-round competition.

“To make it through to the all-around final, I’m really pleased,” added Folwell, who trains at Huntingdon Gym Club.

“I’ve achieved what I wanted to achieve through the qualification and hopefully there will be some more medals for England.”

The Folwell family have also been celebrating Luke’s stirring success back in Huntingdon.

Brother Adam said: “As a family, we’re dead proud of him. Everyone is shouting from the rooftops and we’ll certainly mark it with a celebration when the Games are over.

“I was also pleased that he qualified as third best for the individual event, as opposed to first or second, as now there will be less pressure on him than there would have been and that could work in his favour.”

Folwell will be joined today in the individual men’s all-round competition, which is made up of the top 24 finishers from the team event, by fellow Huntingdon gymnasts Alex Hedges (Isle of Man) and Luke Carson (Northern Ireland).

Charlotte McKenna (Northern Ireland) along with Emma White and Tori Simpson (both Scotland) were the other Huntingdon gymnasts in action in the women’s team event yesterday, looking to earn team stripes as well as qualifying inside the top 24 for the women’s individual event, which also takes place today.

All six will also be looking to make their mark in their respective apparatus finals, before the gymnastics programme finishes on Friday.

Ben Howells, who helps coach the junior boys at Huntingdon Gym Club alongside Paul Hall, who is out in Delhi with the team, said: “I have fired off a few text and Facebook messages congratulating our gymnasts who have been in action so far and they are chuffed to bits with themselves. The men’s team event was very exciting and went one way then the other.

“I thought England were a little unfortunate not to beat Australia in the end, who were the favourites of course. I’m very confident about the upcoming events too.”