Injury has motivated Daniel Keatings, says coach

Injury forced Keatings to miss the most recent Euros and Worlds Championships

Great Britain gymnastics coach Paul Hall has spoken of Daniel Keatings' hunger to get back among the medals, after 12 months on the sidelines.

The 22-year-old Huntingdon Gym athlete has overcome a knee ligament injury but missed out on defending his European pommel horse crown in April.

Now he must focus on being fully fit for October's World Championships.

"He's working six pieces of apparatus and is very motivated," Hall told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

"I think the injury motivated him very well. He's champing at the bit, really eager to come back and prove that he's among the best in the country."

Corby-born Keatings, who took all-round silver at the 2009 World Championships, will head to Tokyo later this year alongside a number of his Huntingdon club mates.

They include Beijing Olympic pommel horse bronze medallist Louis Smith and Luke Folwell, who claimed five medals at last year's Delhi Commonwealth Games.

"We're on the up, we've had some great results in the last few years since Louis' medal in Beijing," added Hall, who coaches Team GB and at Huntingdon.

"There's a group of about 10 gymnasts that are working ever so hard towards earning selection for just five places in the Olympics next year.

"I've been involved for 25 years and I've seen gymnasts and systems come and go, but there's a tremendous energy at the moment, a tremendous group of gymnasts.

"I think our biggest rival is going to be injury, we need to make sure the gymnasts stay fit and healthy."