Keatings wants repeat performance in qualification fight

Daniel Keatings is aiming to repeat one of his greatest performances when he steps out as part of the British team aiming to secure Olympic qualification at the London Prepares test event today.

The 22-year-old gymnast won all-around silver at the North Greenwich Arena at the 2009 World Championships – the scene for this week’s crucial qualifying – and knows he and the team need to produce a world-beating performance.

While the British women secured their place at the London Games in last year’s World Championships in Tokyo, the men’s team fell short and must now finish in the top four at the test event to qualify a full quota. Keatings – who represented Scotland at the 2006 Commonwealth Games – has battled back from a serious knee injury since he won the medal and is confident the British team will secure place for a full team at the Olympics. “I had my most successful result at the O2 in 2009 at the World Championships and it’s just great [the Olympic qualification] will be in front of a home crowd,” said Keatings. “There will be some nerves as it’s qualification and every athlete gets nervy. It’s how you deal with it. We need to come top four as a team to qualify all the athletes. We can not do any worse than we did before and we have nothing to lose and can only do better.

“The home crowd will be the key factor and they will be creating a big, positive atmosphere. Subsequently, you up your game in front of a home crowd.”

The men’s artistic team includes Keatings, Olympic medallist Louis Smith, Daniel Purvis, Kristian Thomas, Ruslan Panteyleymonov, Max Whitlock and reserve Sam Hunter. They will be competing against teams from Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Spain, France, Italy and Puerto Rico to secure the coveted top-four finish and, if they miss out, it is likely Britain will be able to send only one male gymnast to London 2012 – likely to be Dan Purvis or Louis Smith, depending on results and interpretations of the qualification rules. In the women’s team competition, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Spain, France, Italy, South Korea and Holland will fight for the remaining places.

Britain have already qualified a full berth and therefore will not be in action at the test event, but two of the younger team members, Jocelyn Hunt and Rebecca Tunney, will compete as part of a mixed group in order to gain experience. As well as team qualifying, there will also be individual apparatus finals to test the field of play, results, timing and scoring systems.

The rhythmic gymnastics competition begins next week, and Britain’s Francesca Jones, who has already booked her place at London 2012 as an individual at the 2012 World Championships, will compete in order to aid her preparation.