Magnificent gymnast Louis Smith is a history-maker already

Louis Smith will compete for a medal in the pommel horse on Sunday after becoming the first British man in 68 years to qualify for a final in Olympic gymnastics.

Smith, 19, one of the Magnificent Seven whose progress Sportsmail has been following since London was awarded the 2012 Games three years ago, qualified in fifth place in the preliminaries with a score of 15.325 points.

Doubling the delight of his Huntingdon Olympic club and Paul Hall, the coach, Daniel Keatings - Smith's junior by just eight months and the youngest male gymnast competing in Beijing - later qualified for the final of the all-round competition.

Keatings, 10th in the pommel and one of two reserves for the final, was the 24th and final competitor to make it through but Hall was not concerned about that.

Both teenagers are four years ahead of their schedule to bid for gold in London and he said: 'We've made history and it's wonderful.'

Smith, who lives in Peterborough, raised the bar for British men's gymnastics last year when he won a bronze medal in pommel in the world championships, Britain's first men's medal at global level for 13 years.

Keatings is the current European all-round junior champion. 'Both can still do better,' said Hall. 'They have sparkling futures. I couldn't be more pleased. To reach an Olympic final at their age is a remarkable achievement.'

Tom Daley, another member of Sportsmail's Magnificent 7, was competing with Blake Aldridge in his first competition, the synchronised 10 metres platform, early today and became the youngest Briton for 48 years to compete in the Games and the second youngest ever.

Shanaze Reade, 19, a third member of the group, has her chance on August 21 when she will start favourite for gold in cycling's BMX, an event in which she is the world champion.