TULLOCH BIDDING FOR OLYMPIC SPOT
Friends have become rivals as Courtney Tulloch bids to clinch a place at the Olympics.
Pegasus gymnast Tulloch pushed his claims for Rio by helping Great Britain win team silver at the European Championships in Switzerland at the end of last month.
But with 10 gymnasts including Pegasus team-mate James Hall – competing for five spots, he has it all to do at final trials before the squad is announced on July 12.
Tulloch, 20, is determined to be on the plane to Brazil.
He said: “It’s been my dream ever since I was a kid to go to the Olympics.
“I’m ready for it, I just want it to be here now. If I get to go, I want to show the world what I can do.
“Great Britain are doing so well in gymnastics now that we’re going there to win medals, not – just compete. We’ve got trials in two or three weeks and I want to perform as best I can.
“I’m not focusing on anyone else or worrying about anyone else, I know what I can do and what I can give to the team.
“I’ve been waiting for this to come round for a long time. “Friends become rivals, it’s exactly that. “We’ve all grown up together and known each other a long time.
“There’s 10 of us fighting for five places so there’s going to be a lot of disappointed people. “We all want to be on that plane to Rio but whatever team goes will ultimately be the best team.”
Tulloch (pictured) reached the qualifying standard for London 2012 but was too young to compete.
Four years on, he hopes it’s his time.
He is firmly in the selectors’ thoughts after making the most of a late call-up to the Europeans, with Max Whitlock ruled out through illness.
Tulloch said: “I only found out a couple of days before that I’d be going. It was a nice surprise.
“In a way it took the pressure off but once I was there I wanted to show people what I could do.
“Max wasn’t there but I wanted to score as high as him. I didn’t want to be the weak link.
“It’s not just medals and scoring big on rings that will get me to Rio, it’s being able to score well on all six apparatus that will ultimately get me there.”