MAX Whitlock’s only booked his passage to the Games three weeks ago.

The 19-year-old, who trains at the Basildon Sporting Village, was selected for the competition at the O2 Arena following an incredible 18 months for the pommel specialist.

He was looking forward to performing in front of a global audience. And even then the youngster was confident of doing well.

He said: “We have a good team here – we showed that by winning gold at the European’s – so we are going there to do GB proud.”

Whitlock was still in the junior ranks in late 2010, but three medals at the Commonwealth Games in India helped him break into the senior team.

He was a travelling reserve for the GB team which failed to secure their Olympic spot at last year’s World Championships in Tokyo, and then broke into the team as they made amends with 2012 qualification at the London Games test event in January.

And in June he helped GB to an historic European team gold medal.

“It has been an incredible journey for me and I knew it was always going to be hard to make the Olympics,” he said.

Whitlock, from Hemel Hempstead, was one of 18 gymnasts picked for the five Olympic events when the announcement was made at Loughborough University.