Louis Smith has returned to the big stage after winning a silver medal in his first competitive tournament since the London 2012 Olympics.

The pommel horse specialist began his Commonwealth Games selection campaign in great style at the English Gymnastic Championships in Wigan at the weekend and was only pipped to the gold medal by 2012 team-mate Max Whitlock.

Smith scored 15.7 on the pommel horse to finish second to Essex boy Whitlock with the Huntingdon Gym club superstar coming sixth on the parallel bars with a score of 14.25.

“I’m really happy with my performance over the weekend coming just 12 weeks into my training plan,” said the three-time Olympic medallist.

“I’m getting fitter every day and have more skills to put in my routine. I am looking forward to showing everyone that I am up there with the best in the world.”

Smith, who won a silver medal on the pommel horse in London, missing out on the gold to Hungarian Krisztian Berki on a mere technicality, will compete in the British Championships at the end of the month before flying to a World Cup event in South Korea over Easter.

Huntingdon Gym Club was well represented at the English Championships with junior members Patrick Murphy, Jake Jarman, Harry O’Driscoll and Joe Brown all competing at a high standard.

Maddy Young came seventh in the senior women’s event with Tilly Allen, Lottie Smith and Becky Morris all performing well in the junior category.

Another Huntingdon Gym Club member, Dan Keatings, who is hoping to represent Scotland in Glasgow, was in action in Germany as part of the Great Britain team that competed at the Cottbus Grand Prix. Keatings, who missed the Olympics because of an injury, came fourth on the pommel horse and sixth on the high bar.