Oakley Banks wins silver medal in the artistic gymnastics event at the European Youth Olympic Festival final alongside Danny Crouch and Reuben Ward

Oakley Banks helped Great Britain to a silver medal at the European Youth Olympic Festival.

The 17-year-old from Rainham competed alongside Danny Crouch and Reuben Ward for Team GB in the artistic gymnastics final in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia. They took away a silver medal from the competition.

Banks, who trains at the Pegasus Gymnastics Club, said: “It’s been amazing coming out to Slovakia, knowing what we had to do and seeing if we could to get a medal, so to win silver is just amazing.

“This experience has been new for everyone and I think we’re going to keep getting better and better over the years.”

Banks was unable to qualify to compete for an individual medal but finished 12th overall from a large group of top-class athletes numbering around 150 from 48 different countries.

“Just the fact that he was chosen to compete as one of the top three gymnasts in the country is unbelievable,” said proud mum Trudy Banks.

“It was a team effort to win the medal and he played his part just as much as the others.”

Banks is now preparing for the European Championships which will begin in a fortnight.