Former Sky Scholar and gymnast Louis Smith pumped for Rio Olympics after surviving 'circus'

The critics have been sneering since Louis Smith, double medal winner at the London Olympics, revealed his retirement U-turn for the Rio Games.

After silver and bronze on the pommel for GB in 2012, Smith was in a whirlwind of celebrity fame, swapping his gym kit for Strictly Come Dancing sequins with his face regularly stuck at the end of the paparazzi's lenses.

But for anybody who knows their gymnastics or has seen the blood crusted on the gym apparatus, this is not a sport you can drift back into without graft or wearing a few battle scars.

It has been a dizzy ride for the 26-year-old from Peterborough. From winning the nation's first gymnastics Olympic medal for 80 years in Beijing as a reserved teenager to returning to the sport he loves in 2014. 

With six months to Rio, Smith reveals his evolution from cocky Olympic medallist in 2008 to London's superman with the help of the Sky Academy Sports Scholarship scheme and his preparations for a Brazilian samba...

To get back into gymnastics has been like a circus act. I had a lot of time out after London 2012. People in the sport thought 'who's this guy coming back - he's done Strictly, he's a celebrity, he's not taking it seriously, who does he think he is?'

There was a fair bit of animosity coming back but I worked as hard as I could. Hopefully I've tried to prove myself and 2015 was one of my best years.

Looking back at the 2008 Beijing Games, I was young and had no worries and I was free to see what happened. I did well and afterwards I felt a lot of expectation and pressure.

I had sponsorship and people were asking if I would get gold in London. At the 2009 World Championship everyone expected I would be champion. I believed it and I messed up.

Since then I've tried to get on top of how I mentally prepare for a competition. I've used the same technique where I play it all down and play dumb. I think about doing a clean routine and not think about the medals.

From London I had a lot of sponsors and they all helped but Sky Sports were heavily involved with the Academy Scholarship. They were very understanding and flexible and helped with time management. There was also the finance that paid for travel and the medical supplies. They also had all the experience - they brought me into the studio and got me involved with presenting.

I had a screen test, plus I had a great mentor in Hayley McQueen who gave me tips on improving myself in front of the camera. The Scholarship programme was unbelievable and helped me to flourish and be this personality who I am today! I am very grateful to them. 

The London Olympics was an incredible period. The whole thing was mental and it was one big ball of excitement. I remember the last day at the pre-Games training camp in France. Our bags were packed and before the bus left, the drug testers arrived!

I had just been to the toilet, the bus left and I was left waiting to do the drugs test. I finally delivered into a cup and they contacted the bus and it had to turn around to pick me up. Almost missing the bus to the Olympics wasn't a bad start!

There was so much pressure and spotlight expecting me to do well on the pommel horse. I had to switch into 'super mode' and relax, forget what had happened in the team and focus on the individual.

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I was standing in the arena in front of 20,000 people - there were GB flags and Hungarian flags everywhere. It was so intense. I was the last up and I remember walking towards the pommel thinking this is my defining moment and will affect the rest of my life. Would I be sitting on a beach in two weeks with everybody knowing my name or would I just be forgotten about?

It had that edge. I got on the horse and did the best routine of my life. I will never forget it and it gives me sweaty palms thinking about it. It's that moment that everybody in the squad is working towards. Producing your biggest moment at the biggest competition.

There was so much momentum and it helped the team. The crowd noise was building and I remember looking at the board thinking we can get a medal and it was a massive opportunity. We had been expecting to get in the top six. We needed to stay calm. Too much adrenaline and it can be all over. I put on my cool pants and started chatting to the guys - but inside I was so pumped. 

And we got bronze - Britain's first Olympic men's team medal in a century.

On to Rio. It will be incredible. There will always be issues in the build-up like 'will the venues be ready'? I hope we just do our job and then have a week to party! Salsa, samba on the beach. This is why we are here.

I'll be 27 if I go to Brazil and I've got to understand that my body can't do as much training. I'm a heavier gymnast so I have to protect my joints because I want to survive as long as I can in the sport. 2015 was great and has given me huge confidence. It's been such a change from my break to returning to the sport.

You ask yourself 'was it a fluke?', 'am I relying on past experiences?' I had 11 competitions last year and had 11 clean routines and that's boosted my confidence.

I'm ready to go. I've been to two Games and hopefully if I get to a third, I'll be a seasoned pro and I'll do my job.