Korea Cup: Smith snatches silver from arch-rival Berki

LOUIS SMITH added another medal to his collection by taking a silver at the Korea Cup in Seoul over the weekend.

LOUIS SMITH added another medal to his collection by taking a silver at the Korea Cup in Seoul over the weekend.

The event brought together the world’s best apparatus specialists, who were all keen to make an impression in the lead up to the World Championships in Tokyo in October.

Huntingdon Gymnastics Club member Smith performed a clean routine without major error to score 15.575, just a few tenths behind Chinese specialist Zhang Hongtao.

The bronze medal was taken by Smith’s arch rival and current world champion – Krisztian Berki of Hungary – who scored 15.375.

Reflecting on his performance, Smith said: “It was a very stable performance on my part and it was good to beat the current world champion into second place.

“I feel that I have more to give and will be working very hard over the summer to make sure I earn my place on the Great Britain team for Japan later this year.”

The Great Britain men’s gymnastics team have a target to finish in the top eight nations in Tokyo, which would earn them the right to send a full team of five to the London Olympics next year.

Following that event, the gymnasts will then have a gruelling round of selection events in 2012, culminating in the British Championships in June, which will decide selection for the Games themselves.

Smith, along with Luke Folwell and Daniel Keatings, will be fighting to make the team.