Harry Hepworth hails 'unbelievable' Olympic achievement despite narrowly missing out on a medal

Despite a valiant effort, particularly from an inspired Hepworth, the Brits came up agonisingly short in Paris earlier this week.

The squad, led by multiple Olympic champion Max Whitlock and including Hepworth’s Leeds Gymnastics Club team-mate Luke Whitehouse finished fourth, as Team GB’s wait for a first medal in the team event since London 2012 goes on.

Inside a packed Bercy Arena, nowhere near as partisan a venue as some have been at these Games due to the lack of French involvement, Japan snatched gold from China on the final rotation.

The United States took bronze with Great Britain coming in just behind them.

Hepworth, 20, produced some stellar performances on his apparatus including a score of 14.800 on the rings.

But it was not enough as Britain missed out on bronze by 2.66 points to finish fourth for the third Games in a row.

“There’s that initial disappointment but it’s fourth in the world, it’s still an unbelievable achievement,” said Hepworth, who was revelling in the atmosphere of his first Olympics.

“We gave it everything, we’ll just be a bit sad for the next day but then we’ll realise we did really well.

“We’ll get back in the gym, work hard and next time get a bronze.

“After the first two pieces, pommel and rings, I did have a little bit of hope after that, but as the competition went on we started going down a little bit.”

Hepworth still has the individual rings and vault finals to come later in the Games, meaning that his medal hopes are not over yet.

“It gives me a lot of confidence,” he added. “I’ll just continue working over the next few days, use this today and do some good routines.”

Hepworth returns to action on August 4 in the individual rings event, with the men’s vault final scheduled to take place later the same day.