BOURNEMOUTH’S Nathan Bailey secured a silver medal at the Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships in Sofia.
Alongside partner Luke Strong, the 24-year-old sealed second spot on the global stage during the synchronised competition, with a score of 52.250 points.
They finished behind eventual winners, Belarus.
Bailey, who came ninth as an individual at the Olympics in Rio last year, held his nerve in the high-pressure finale in which several competitors fell.
Speaking after the event, the Bournemouth gymnast said: “We’ve always felt we had the potential and now is the day it’s happened for us.
“We went out and put down a great routine, it was a pretty special feeling.”
Strong added: “We’re over the moon.
“It feels like we’ve waited a long time for this medal, just missing out in previous championships and now we’ve got it — it feels incredible.”
Earlier this year, the pair sealed their first World Cup title in the Spanish city of Valladolid.
They saw off strong competition from Japan's Daiki Kishi and Ryosuke Sakai and France's Allan Morante and Pierre Gouzou, to claim top spot on that occasion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here