Gymnastics: Smith out to make most of reprieve

GREAT Britain captain Rachel Smith vowed her rhythmic gymnastics team will prove they deserve a place at the London Olympics after yesterday winning an appeal against their own governing body.

British Gymnastics ruled the team had missed an agreed qualifying standard at the Olympic test event at North Greenwich arena in January but the athletes appealed and independent arbitrator Sports Resolutions UK overturned the decision following a hearing last Wednesday.

British Gymnastics set a benchmark score of 45.223, but the British team fell short by 0.273 points after problems in their second routine.

However, they believed they had another chance on the final day of the test event.

Despite British Gymnastics having already ruled they had missed their chance, the team went out and scored 47.200 and appealed the decision on the basis they believed they had met the target laid down for them.

The British Olympic Association will now inform gymnastics’ world governing body, the FIG, that Britain will be taking up the host nation place.

Smith said: “We want to prove to everyone that we do deserve to be there and to make the country proud.”