World Gymnastics Championships: Max Whitlock wins gold, Downie sisters claim medals

Max Whitlock regained his world title with gold in the pommel on a successful day for Great Britain at the World Gymnastics Championships.

Having come second in Doha last year, Whitlock matched his feats of 2015 and 2017 with his third world gold.

Becky Downie claimed the silver on the uneven bars and younger sister Ellie took the bronze medal on the vault.

"This time I'm speechless," said Whitlock.

"I'm so emotional because this one meant so much. That was a really tough pommel final.

"I was second up and I had the opportunity to watch. The standard from every gymnast, the margins are tiny."

Whitlock recovered from an early mistake to produce an excellent routine that the rest could not quite match with Lee Chih-kai of Chinese Taipei second and Rhys McClenaghan becoming the first Irish gymnast to win a world medal by claiming bronze.

Becky Downie produced the performance of her life on the uneven bars, which looked like it might win her gold until she was pipped by Belgium's Nina Derwael, the last gymnast to perform.

Downie had never before won an individual medal at world or Olympic level and was overcome with emotion.

"It means so much," she said. "It's taken so many years.

"I didn't know if this would be my last World Championships so I put my heart and soul into it. To finally have done it is just amazing."

Her younger sister Ellie came third on the vault, which was won by Simone Biles to equal Vitaly Scherbo's record of 23 World Championships medals.

Becky Downie was pipped by Belgium's Nina Derwael to gold