Gymnastics star Joe Fraser heading east after world championships selection

The 26-year-old is part of a six-strong squad which will travel to Jakarta for the first major global tournament since last year’s Paris Olympics.

Fraser, a two-time Olympian and former world champion on the parallel bars, is the senior member of a team which also includes Paris vault bronze medallist Harry Hepworth.

Jake Jarman, the reigning world vault champion and three-time European vault champion Luke Whitehouse were also part of last year’s squad at the Games, with the vastly experienced Courtney Tulloch and debutant Alex Yolshin-Cash completing the line-up.

The championships, which take place at the 16,500-capacity Indonesia Arena, are poised to be the biggest-ever with a record 80 countries sending gymnasts to compete. It is the first time the championships, which first took place in 1903, have ever been held in Southeast Asia.

Former Sandwell College student Fraser will be aiming to show his best in what is also the first big step on the road toward LA 2028.

A three-time gold medallist at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Fraser battled back from career-threatening injuries to finish fifth in the individual all-around in Paris.

He and the GB men also narrowly missed out on a medal in the team event, finishing in fourth place for the second successive Olympics.

The four-strong women’s squad for the world championships features three debutants, including reigning British all-around champion Alia Leat.

Ruby Evans and Abi Martin return from the Olympic squad, with the latter making her first world championships appearance, while there is also a place for 16-year-old Shantae-Eve Amankwaah. Former floor world champion Jessica Gadirova was originally selected for the squad but has been forced to withdraw due to injury.

Gymnasts from both squads will attend a training camp at GB Gymnastics’ Lilleshall base early next month before flying out to the championships, which take place from October 19-25.