Team GB announcements in various sports for the Beijing Olympics have been popping up one-or-two a week for the last month or so, but few will be watched with as much interest as the naming of the men's artistic gymnastics team later this month.

At last year's World Championships, Britain qualified two places for the Games but the problem is that three into two doesn't go, and Team GB has a trio of male gymnast who all have realistic claims at selection.

What's more - all of the contenders for a spot on the British team are teenagers, which bodes exceptionally well for the country's prospects for London 2012.

Certainly, earlier this month, 19-year-old pommel horse specialist Louis Smith (pictured) would have been seen as a lock for the Games - so much so that even his mum had booked a flight to China to watch him.

Smith became the first British male to win a World Championship medal for 13 years last October in Stuttgart when he won bronze in his favourite event.

However, at last week's European Championships in Lausanne, disaster struck, as within five seconds of his routine he had fallen to the mat.

He got back up on the pommel horse and put in a decent performance, but the fall meant that he would only finish in 25th position - nowhere near good enough to reach the final.

One man who did make a final though was another 19-year-old Kristian Thomas, who finished eight in the floor exercise.

More solid than spectacular, the result puts Thomas right in the mix for a potential place in Beijing, especially as he qualified for that final with the fourth best score.

The real wild card for the Olympics though could be Daniel Keating - a Huntingdon club-mate of Smith - and an immense all round talent already despite only having turned 18 in January.

While Smith and Thomas were competing in the senior European Championships, Keating was taking part in the junior equivalent and won an amazing four gold medals - an unprecedented amount for a British gymnast.

He helped the British team pick up surprise gold in the team event, won the pommel horse and the parallel bars, and most significantly then claimed the overall title too.

Second place in that overall junior competition was also taken by another Brit - Daniel Purvis - who is just 15 and one to watch come London.

At last year's senior worlds, Keating also finished seventh in the same pommel horse event where Smith won his bronze, and team selectors may feel that Keating will be a better option than Smith come the Games in August.

Certainly whoever goes to Beijing will have earned their spot, and hopefully, come London 2012, there will be plenty more spots won and medal chances aplenty.

Seán Fay / Eurosport