'The best routine of my life' - Halifax's Luke Whitehouse wins European Gymnastics gold medal

Whitehouse, 20 – who trains at Leeds Gymnastics club - scored 14.900 points to take the title in Antalya ahead of Olympic and European champion Artem Dolgopyat.

"That was probably the best routine of my life," said Whitehouse following the triumph on his major championships debut.

"I knew I had it in me, and knew I could do it, I'm over the moon."

Whitehouse’s Leeds Gymnastics Club team-mate Harry Hepworth finished fourth.

Becky Downie followed Whitehouse’s title to take silver in the women’s uneven bars following her recovery from an Achilles problem.

The 31-year-old, who was sidelined for nine months with the injury, nailed her twisting dismount to score 14.233 and finish behind Italy’s Alice D’Amato.

“It’s hard to put this into words,” said Downie, who missed out on selection for the delayed Tokyo Olympics. “It’s more than a medal, it’s everything it means on my journey.

“The feeling of being back and part of the team in the environment and knowing and proving I can do it again is incredible and hard to describe.”

Elsewhere, Courtney Tulloch scored 14.66 in the men’s rings final to finish in sixth.

Jessica Gadirova secured a hat-trick of golds at the European Gymnastics Championships after taking top spot in the women’s floor final on Sunday.

Gadirova, 18, saw off team-mate Alice Kinsella as Great Britain completed a superb one-two finish on the final day of the championships in Turkey.

Gadirova took her third straight European title on the floor with a total of 14.000 points, while Kinsella, 22, scored 13.666.

“The experience has been amazing and I cannot believe what is happening,” said Gadirova, who also claimed gold in both the women’s all-round and team competitions.

“It has been such an amazing championships and I couldn’t have asked for anything more. That is the reason I am a gymnast because I love to perform on the floor. I gave it everything today.”