West Yorkshire's Olympic hero Harry Hepworth welcomed home after winning Team GB's first ever medal in the men’s vault.
The 20-year-old Yorkshire gymnast from Leeds got a hero's welcome home after he won a bronze medal in the vault with a score of 14.949.
Last updated 16th Aug 2024
Harry Hepworth was welcomed back to West Yorkshire after winning Team GB's first ever medal in the men’s vault.
The 20-year-old Yorkshire gymnast from Leeds won a bronze medal in the vault with a score of 14.949.
Hepworth beat his GB Team mate Jake Jarman but narrowly missed out on a silver medal with Armenian gymnast Artur Davtyan scoring 14.966.
Just hours earlier, Hepworth had made history as the first-ever Briton to make a Rings Olympic final where he came seventh overall with a score of 14.800.
Hepworth said: “This whole experience has been one massive high even the pre-training camp was amazing, going to the village was amazing, and competing was even more amazing. It has just been one massive high the entire time.
“When I started, all I wanted to do was a backflip and I eventually did one, but just achieving that skill just became addictive. I started learning all these different skills through all my years of training and I’m a bronze medallist now which feels weird to say but I don’t think it's quite sunk in yet.
“Being on the podium was so surreal, there’s no way to describe it. The feeling was really weird, but I was grateful and full of joy.
“Thank you for all the support, I would not be here without these guys here today. They have put so much time and effort into me and I will never be able to repay them.”
He was welcomed home at Whitkirk Cricket Club with fellow Olympic West Yorkshire GB gymnast Luke Whitehouse where the pair arrived shortly after 5PM on Wednesday.
Both athletes made their Olympic debut in Paris and arrived at the home welcoming wearing the Team GB tracksuit with Hepworth displaying his bronze medal around his neck.
The pair were met with long applause before they attended a Q&A, signed autographs and took pictures with the crowds of fans waiting to greet them home.
Luke Whitehouse qualified for the men’s floor final and finished 6th with a score of 14.466.
The 22-year-old Halifax-born gymnast won gold in the individual floor exercise at the 2023 European Championships in Turkey.
Whitehouse said: “The Olympics is the pinnacle of any sport. It’s something that I’ve dreamt of going to since being a little boy so for that dream to come true is something that I will remember forever.
“The reception today for me and Harry was incredible. I did not expect there to be that many people.”
After missing out on a medal in Paris, Whitehouse said: “I’m going to have a little holiday and then straight back to work.”
“Gymnastics is one of those sports where you don’t get an off-season, it's all year round. We've got the European and World Championships so hopefully I can go out there and retain my European Title and win the Worlds Title.”
The 22-year-old Halifax-born gymnast won gold in the individual floor exercise at the 2023 European Championships in Turkey.
Hepworth accredited much of his success to Grandma Janice who frequently drove him to training in Leeds.
She said: “The reception here is amazing. I never expected there to be so many people.
"I have been driving him. How many times do you get a teenager in a car where they can’t get away so you can have really good discussions, it’s been absolutely fantastic.
"Paris was fantastic, lovely atmosphere and I’m really pleased I went.
“I was at home at the time for the final and I was with my daughter, and we couldn’t believe it. We were jumping up and down, frightened the cat, it wondered what was going on”