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Grimnastics

Rio Olympics 2016: Louis Smith falls as Team GB miss out on Team GB gymnastics medal places

Lads were in third place for much of the six-discipline event but were pipped by late China surge

LOUIS SMITH crashed off the pommel horse and so did Team GB's medal hopes in the men's team gymnastics.

Great Britain were in third half-way through the six-discipline event in Rio, behind leaders Russia and second-placed Japan.

 Louis Smith hides his face behind a towel after falling off the pommel horse
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Louis Smith hides his face behind a towel after falling off the pommel horseCredit: PA:Press Association
 A dejected Louis Smith after he fell off the pommel in the final rotation
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A dejected Louis Smith after he fell off the pommel in the final rotationCredit: Richard Pelham - The Sun
 The moment Louis Smith and Team GB's medal hopes ended as he fell off
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The moment Louis Smith and Team GB's medal hopes ended as he fell offCredit: Richard Pelham - The Sun
 This is the moment Louis Smith's medal dreams in the team event ended
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This is the moment Louis Smith's medal dreams in the team event ended
 Max Whitlock competes on the parallel bars in the men's gymnastics final
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Max Whitlock competes on the parallel bars in the men's gymnastics finalCredit: Richard Pelham - The Sun
 Team GB's Nile Wilson in action during the men's team final at Rio
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Team GB's Nile Wilson in action during the men's team final at RioCredit: Richard Pelham - The Sun

But then world silver medallist and European champion Nile Wilson exploded into action with a massive 15.666 score on the high bar.

It proved in vain, however, as Smith fell off the horse - his strongest event - in the final rotation.

China then came from the pack to overtake Britain - whose team also included Max Whitlock and Brinn Bevan - in third and that proved an unassailable gap.

Russia took silver, their first ever, as Japan picked up their seventh gold and China came third.

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