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Gymnast and Sky Scholar Sam Oldham selected for European Championships

Sam Oldham: Shining on the Parallel Bars at the British Championships in liverpool
Image: Sam Oldham: Shining on the Parallel Bars at the British Championships in Liverpool

Gymnast Sam Oldham has been included in a six-strong men's team for the European Championships in France this month.

It is an incredible turnaround for the 22-year-old from Nottingham who has battled back from a career-threatening injury at the Commonwealth Games last summer.

It's always an honour to be picked to represent my country and to be three years on from London and selected alongside all of that team is very special
Sam Oldham

The Sky Academy Sports Scholar has been edging back to fitness since November but only just recently returned to action on all six apparatus at a single event event at the English and British Championships.

Podium finishes in Loughborough and Liverpool clearly impressed the selectors with British Gymnastics revealing Oldham had secured his spot on the plane to Montpellier for the Europeans that take place April 15-19.

An obviously delighted Oldham told Sky Sports News: "The past eight months have been incredibly tough for me. To miss the majority of Commonwealth Games and more importantly for me the World Championships in Nanning was difficult to take.

"It's thanks to the amazing support I've had from my family, my medical team, my sponsors and my coach Sergey Sizhanov that I've made it to this point.

"It's always an honour to be picked to represent my country and to be three years on from London and selected alongside all of that team is very special.  The next two weeks of training will all be aimed at preparing myself to compete at the best possible level in France.

"A big thank you to everyone within Sky Academy, my Sky mentor Geoff Shreeves and my fellow Scholars for all the support over the past eight months."

The other five men in the team are Max Whitlock, all-around World silver medallist in China last year, Kristian Thomas, Courtney Tulloch, Daniel Purvis and Louis Smith.

Smith has only just returned to the sport after quitting at the end of London 2012, while Olympic medallist Purvis is in top form after winning his second all-round men's British title for the second time in three years last weekend, finishing ahead of Frank Baines with Oldham and James Hall sharing third spot.

Image: Claudia Fragapane: Sky Young Sportswoman of the Year in 2014

European and Commonwealth bars champion Becky Downie is the most experienced gymnast in the women’s line up, joined by four-time Commonwealth Games champion Claudia Fragapane, Sky Young Sportswoman of the Year in 2014, and 2015 British all-around champion Amy Tinkler.

The final place in the team went to Becky’s younger sister Ellie Downie who like Amy makes the move from junior to senior level after winning bronze in the all-around at the British Championships.

The European Championships doesn’t feature a team event and is instead based on the top individual gymnasts in both the all-around and individual apparatus competitions.

It's the latest step in Sam Oldham's journey towards qualification for the Olympics in Brazil next year.

Read his latest blog on his battle for fitness and the qualification drama.

Sam Oldham is one of 12 athletes being supported through the Sky Academy Sports Scholarships scheme.

The Scholarships offer a programme of support tailored to each athletes specific requirements covering areas such as funding, media coaching, mentoring and wider developmental support.

Read here for full details of the scheme

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