Remembering his Olympic bronze at London 2012 still gives Dan Purvis goosebumps but now he will attack his next challenge after announcing his retirement from gymnastics.
The Liverpudlian – who finishes his career with 16 medals at major championships, including team bronze as part of Team GB at London 2012 alongside Louis Smith, Kristian Thomas, Max Whitlock and Sam Oldham – will move into coaching, although he admits the jump into the unknown is causing him trepidation.
Purvis, 28, also won two World Championship medals (team silver in 2015 and individual floor bronze in 2010) – along with eight European medals and five Commonwealth medals for Team Scotland – making him the country’s most-decorated gymnast.
He said: “It’s a surreal feeling retiring. It’s a scary feeling knowing that I won’t be training, competing and doing what I have loved to do for many years.
“It’s been a great honour to represent Great Britain and Scotland over many years.
“I am very proud to have been selected for both teams and to have been a part of so many historic and amazing results.”
Purvis picked out winning team bronze in London as part of Team GB as the highlight of his career, which spanned more than a decade at the highest levels of gymnastics.
He said becoming an Olympic medallist was the culmination of a childhood dream as a youngster growing up in the sport.
“It was always a dream of mine as a little boy to go to the Olympic Games but to come away with a medal was something I never thought would happen; I still get goosebumps to this day thinking about it,” Purvis said.
“It was an incredible moment and to share that feeling with my teammates was even more special.
“Achieving this result on home soil with my coach, family and friends there watching was something I will never forget.”
Purvis will continue in the sport, as part of the UK Sport ‘Athlete to Coach’ Programme – working with the British development squads.
He added: “I am certainly going to miss it but on the other hand I have been fortunate enough to start on the elite Athlete to Coach transition programme which I’m really excited about and I’m looking forward to those new gymnastics’ challenges ahead.”
Sportsbeat 2019