HUNTINGDON gymnast, Daniel Keatings, moved a step closer to his Olympic dream this weekend following a superb performance at the British Championships in Wigan. At just 17 and already a European medallist, Keatings worked steadily over six pieces of app

HUNTINGDON gymnast, Daniel Keatings, moved a step closer to his Olympic dream this weekend following a superb performance at the British Championships in Wigan.

At just 17 and already a European medallist, Keatings worked steadily over six pieces of apparatus to take the all around senior title with a score of 87.4, beating Huntingdon Olympic Gym clubmate Luke Folwell into second with 86.0.

Keatings, though still officially a junior, elected to take on some of the best senior gymnasts in the country in order to increase his chances of Olympic selection in 2008 and, as well as taking the overall title, took gold on floor, parallel bars, and high bar.

Luke Folwell took gold on rings and vault, and world medallist Louis Smith made it a clean sweep for Huntingdon by winning the British title on pommel horse, his specialist apparatus.

In the under-14 category, a second all around British title was won by Huntingdon-based gymnast, Sam Oldham, who also took individual gold on floor, rings, and parallel bars, as well as silver on the remaining three apparatus. Team-mates Alex Brailsford took bronze on parallel bars, with Max Bennet on high bar taking another third place. Cameron Mackenzie underlined the enormous depth of talent at the Huntingdon club by taking the all around bronze medal in the under-16 age group.

Mackenzie continued the club's strong pommel horse tradition by winning the event, adding silvers on rings and parallel bars, and a bronze on high bar.

The club was also represented by Ahmahd Thomas, who finished sixth in the under-18 category.

Head coach Paul Hall was delighted: 'This has been an incredible year in which we have won medals at European and world level. In becoming the senior British champion, Daniel has shown the immense potential he has to produce major international results and, along with Louis Smith, represents real hopes for putting Huntingdon on the Olympic pathway. I am also pleased that we continue to lay the foundations for 2012 with great performances from talented juniors like Cameron Mackenzie and Sam Oldham.