Louis Smith (gymnast)

Louis Smith
MBE
Smith in 2012
Personal information
Full nameLouis Antoine Smith
Nickname(s)Lou, Lou-Lou
Born (1989-04-22) 22 April 1989
Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England
Height179 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Gymnastics career
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
Country
represented
 Great Britain
 England
ClubHuntingdon Gymnastics Club
Head coach(es)Paul Hall
Retired2018
Medal record
Men's artistic gymnastics
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
2012 LondonPommel horse
2016 Rio de JaneiroPommel horse
2008 BeijingPommel horse
2012 LondonTeam
World Championships
2010 RotterdamPommel horse
2015 GlasgowTeam
2015 GlasgowPommel horse
2007 StuttgartPommel horse
2011 TokyoPommel horse
European Championships
2015 MontpellierPommel horse
2012 MontpellierTeam
2009 MilanPommel horse
2010 BirminghamTeam
2010 BirminghamPommel horse
2012 MontpellierPommel horse
2016 BernTeam
Representing  England
Commonwealth Games
2006 MelbournePommel horse
2014 GlasgowTeam
2006 MelbourneTeam
2014 GlasgowPommel horse

Louis Antoine Smith (born 22 April 1989) is a retired English artistic gymnast.

He received a bronze medal and two silver medals on the pommel horse at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics respectively, with the former marking the first time a British gymnast had placed in an Olympic event since 1928. He fell just short of gold in 2012, tying with Kristian Berki, but taking silver for a lower E or execution score. He followed this up with a second consecutive silver medal on the pommel horse at the 2016 Rio Olympics, this time finishing behind teammate, and 2012 bronze medalist, Max Whitlock.

Smith was also part of the Great Britain team that took the bronze in the men's artistic team all-around at the 2012 London Olympics. He was the first British gymnast to win Olympic medals in three separate Games, and only the second gymnast after Marius Urzică to win three successive Olympic pommel horse medals. His team-mate Whitlock subsequently won Olympic medals in the 2012, 2016 and 2020 games, and also won successively bronze, gold and gold in these games on the pommel horse. A 2006 Commonwealth Games champion representing England in the pommel horse, in 2015 he became European champion, his first major international title representing Great Britain. Smith is a member of the Huntingdon Gymnastics Club, training alongside teammate Daniel Keatings under coach Paul Hall. He was a part of the European gold medal-winning Great Britain men's team in 2012, 2010 Commonwealth Games Champion, and is also a four-time European silver medallist. Away from the gym, Smith's media profile has offered a number of television opportunities in his home country. He also won the 2012 series of Strictly Come Dancing and the 2021 series of The Masked Dancer.