Gymnast Luke’s a class act at festival
HUDDERSFIELD New College student and Great Britain gymnast Luke Whitehouse helped the men’s artistic gymnasts secure a fantastic fourth place in the team competition at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Baku for Team GB.
Luke scored a solid 76.5 points coming 21st All Round in qualification, going clean on all six apparatus – Floor, pommel, parallel bars, vault, rings and high bar.
Highlights were 12th on floor and 13th on parallel bars, which put him as reserve in the apparatus finals.
The team missed out on a bronze by just 0.533 of a point from Italy, with Russia taking gold and Ukraine silver.
Luke said: “It was a real honour wearing the Olympic rings representing Team GB.
“It was a great event competing in the National Gymnastics Arena and fantastic experience living in the Olympic village for 10 days with other athletes from the 43 other countries and sports.”
Team GB had its most successful Junior Olympic event coming second after Russia in the overall medal table with 25 medals, of which 11 were gold.
This was a multiple discipline event with 10 sports including artistic gymnastics, basketball, judo, swimming, tennis and wrestling. As part of the trip out to Baku the whole of Team GB attended a welcome event hosted for them by the ambassador at the British Embassy Residence in Baku – a real privilege which not many people have the honour of attending. The opening and closing ceremonies were held at The Crystal Hall to sell-out audiences with the President of Azerbaijan opening the Festival.
Luke is a member to the Top Junior Squad as part of the World Class Programme training at Leeds Gymnastics Club, under the coaching guidance of Andy Butcher and Dave Murray.