BASILDON’S Sporting Village erupted last night when Max Whitlock and his team blitzed their way to a bronze medal.

Coaches at Whitlock’s home club – the South Essex Gymnastics Club – celebrated alongside parents, friends and children as the new town hero won a podium place.

Many of the delighted coaches and youngsters sported patriotic face paint and Union flags. All were on the edge of their seats as they watched the drama unfold.

Club coach Kayleigh Peak, 24, said: “We’ve been so so excited all evening. “Everyone has been willing him on. “Getting a bronze is brilliant – but for a while we thought they had got the silver.

“Max is just friendly and genuine and a star, plus he’s so loveable. “Every kid and parent here loves him. “We are going to have a huge party when he comes back – it may go on for days,” said Peak, from Stanford-le-Hope.

Head women’s coach Karen Grieves, 27, from Brentwood, said: “I’ve been coming here for 16 years as a gymnast and as a coach and I have never known anything like it.

“The atmosphere here has been so tense. “We’ve been trying to run coaching and nipping over to a screen or laptop to watch the action. “It’s just been incredible.

“It’s going to mean so much for this club. “We are expecting a big surge in membership as people want their youngsters to train where Max did.

“Even the youngest ones here realise how big it is to get a medal at the Games. And they see Max week in and week out, so it’s fantastic for their confidence.

“Although I coach the girls, from early on I could see Max out of the corner of my eye and knew how good he was going to be. He so deserves a medal.

“We’re all so delighted.”

Seeing the team lose out on silver following a successful appeal by Japan could not dampen the spirits of Max’s club mates.

“It really doesn’t matter about the silver – a medal is a medal at the Olympics,” said club administrator Paula Bevan.

“When you think we have never been in the medals before in the artistic gymnastics then the boys have done a fantastic job.

"Max and the boys have worked so hard and worked well as a team and the good thing is that we have Max and Louis in the pommel final as well.

“Hats off to them – this is absolutely fantastic for them. Everybody at the club has a big smile across their face.”