Olympic great Max Whitlock tips Gravesend's Giarnni-Regini Moran and Maidstone's James Hall to fight for medals at World Gymnastics Championships

Max Whitlock believes the hard work will pay off for Kent gymnasts Giarnni Regini-Moran and James Hall at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool.

Three-time world champion Whitlock won’t be competing at this year’s event after a year out following the Tokyo Olympics but is looking forward to watching the next generation of British gymnasts compete against the world’s very best.

Gravesend's Regini-Moran and Hall, from Maidstone, are part of the the GB squad who begin their team campaign on Monday. Both enjoyed successful summers, earning team gold at both the Commonwealth Games and the European Championships, while Regini-Moran also earned two silvers and a bronze in Birmingham, and Hall a silver.

The pair now head to Liverpool to take on the world, with the likes of Japan and China among the competition, but Whitlock believes there is a good chance of British success thanks to their hard yards in training.

“They are grafters,” said Whitlock, who will watch Great Britain’s new generation of gymnasts from the press box at the M&S Bank Arena.

“They’re obviously talented at what they do but they work so hard.

“These gymnasts are in the gym so many hours a week, dedicated, committed. They have their goals, they have their ambitions, and work towards them.

“It’s not rocket science, they know what they want to do and they are working hard towards it.

“They all have massive potential to come out with medals, I’m not afraid to say that. But it’s all about what happens on the day.”

Whitlock decided he needed a break from gymnastics following the successful defence his Olympic pommel horse gold medal in Tokyo last summer and is taking a year out.

However, he nearly quit altogether after feeling “completely lost” but is now