Harry Hepworth makes history by winning Great Britain's first-ever Olympic vault medal
Harrogate-born Harry Hepworth was lost for words after making history at the Paris 2024 Olympics when he became the first-ever British gymnast to win a medal in the men’s vault competition.
The 20-year-old finished Sunday’s final in the bronze medal position, denied silver by Armenia’s Artur Davtyan at the very last moment.
Having achieved an average score of 19.494, Hepworth sat second behind Carlos Yulo of the Phillipines (15.116) until Davtyan edged ahead of him with the final vault of the afternoon.
But, despite seeing silver cruelly snatched away from him, the Yorkshireman was in extremely upbeat mood at the conclusion of the event and revealed that he planned to celebrate his success with a pizza.
"To come away with a medal, I don’t even have the words for it right now,” Hepworth said. “But it’s just the start.
“I'm just so thankful to everyone who has put all the support into me. I wouldn't be here without my family, my grandma and my friends.
"I was just going in there to enjoy it and that took the pressure side away, but as I presented for each routine, I felt the pressure there for sure.
"I’m now off to have a full pizza to celebrate.”
Earlier in the day, Hepworth, who is an Olympic debutant and the youngest member of Britain’s men’s gymnastics squad, finished seventh in the rings final with a score of 14.800.
He had also made history by becoming the first Brit to qualify for a shot at the medals in that competition.