Kristian Thomas will compete at his sixth World Championships later this month but the Earls Gymnastics Club ace claims he still gets the same thrill he felt upon competing at his very edition.

Thomas has won vault bronze at the 2013 World Championships in Antwerp, team bronze at the London 2012 Olympics as well as countless European and Commonwealth medals in his long gymnastics career.

And the 26-year-old is determined to add to his collection at the World Championships as well as helping his team qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio next summer.

The Worlds begin on Friday October 23 at the SSE Hydro Arena in Glasgow, the site of last year’s Commonwealth Games.

And Thomas admits that the prospect of competing in front of another home crowd has him counting down the days until the event “I still get the same buzz competing in big events and this one will probably be even more special because it will be a home World Championships for us,” he said.

“I’ve been lucky enough to compete in a home Worlds in 2009, then a home Olympics in 2012 and the Commonwealths last year as well. For me, it definitely makes it one of the more special events."

“It will be great having the home crowd and the home support because it’s like having an extra team member in the big arena."

“We just want to go out there and show everyone what we’ve been working towards and just having their support is fantastic."

“Number one aim is to qualify for the Olympics, which we’ll need a top eight finish for. We’ve got the capability to do that but as a team we’ve definitely got the ability to aim higher than that and look for a top-five finish."

“The lads are pretty confident and it’s all going out there, dealing with the pressure, holding our nerve and we’re looking forward to it now.”

With qualification for next year’s Olympics in Rio up for grabs for the top eight teams in Glasgow, Thomas is keen to help GB secure their spot.

At 26 years old, the Earls Gymnastics Club member is one of the veterans of the GB squad, but with the likes of 19-year-old Nile Wilson and 18-year-old Brinn Bevan also in the team, Thomas insists they have the perfect blend of youth and experience.

“I try to show the young guys what it’s about but our team members seem to be getting younger and younger and better and better!” he added.

“That’s a good thing though because then we have the older guys in the squad and the younger guys bouncing off each other."

“I still learn things from the younger guys and vice versa. The younger guys help push on to better things and the same for them trying to catch up with us. It’s a good balance to have in your team.”

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