Max Whitlock admitted it has hard competing without long-time coach Scott Hahn at his side as he fronted the British charge at the gymnastics World Championships.
The double Olympic champion missed out on the floor final but qualified with ease to defend his pommel horse title in Doha.
Whitlock’s mentor is back home on a half-term holiday with his family - ironically in a caravan at Romney Sands named ‘Rio Gold’.
It’s the first time in ten years he’s not been alongside Whitlock, who is one of four British men’s gymnasts to advance to individual finals.
“I felt a lot of relief after my pommel routine,” said Whitlock, who topped the qualifying standings and watched as Ireland’s Rhys McClenaghan, the Commonwealth and European champion, fell and failed to progress.
“The year hasn't gone fully to plan but it's been about looking at the bigger picture.
“I’m really happy I've been able to prove that it was worth it. My build-up to this tournament was a really confident one. I knew what I had to do and I stuck by it, and I was doing that routine no matter what.”
Whitlock’s performance helped Britain’s men qualify for Monday’s team final in fifth place, where a top three finish will guarantee a place at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
James Hall and Brinn Bevan comfortably made Wednesday’s all-around final while Dom Cunningham made the vault final, to make amends for his failure to progress on the floor, the apparatus in which he won the European title this summer.
“This is my first World Championships and to get into the vault final and get a good score on the floor is a big thing for me. I knew my floor wasn't good enough so I knew I needed to make these two vaults,” said Cunningham.
“The team spirit is excellent. The boys bounce off each other. We all know what we all go through. We've come through and we're going out to the team final looking for medals.”
However, there was disappointment for Britain’s women’s gymnasts, who ranked ninth in qualifying for their team event, missing the final by just one place.
Becky Downie, back on the international stage after missing selection for the Commonwealth Games and battling with a foot injury, made the bars final while sister Ellie Downie and Kelly Simm both qualified for the women’s all-around final.
“My attitude is to always go out and enjoy it,” said Becky Downie.
“I know what I'm capable of but it's a really strong final and I've got to get through what is a real physical monster of a routine. I've been working on it a long time and if I can pull it off it will be pretty special.”
Sportsbeat 2018