THORNBURY gymnast Tim Sanders said competing at the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia, “was absolutely fantastic."

The 23-year-old represented Great Britain at the third largest multi-sport event in the world and helped them finish 13th out of 36 countries in the team event.

He was unable to qualify for the finals of the individual events but was close in the vault, coming in the top six in the first vault, before his second attempt which was not quite at a high enough standard.

Sanders, who was eligible for the Games having graduated from Loughborough University last year, was told he would never compete again after a shoulder operation over two years ago, making the occasion even more special for the former Marlwood School pupil.

“It made me feel like I’ve earned my place there,” he said.

“It was absolutely fantastic I thoroughly enjoyed it.

“We (Great Britain) were up against the best in the World and met our targets.

“It was a privilege competing against the best of the best. I am not quite the best yet but it drives me to keep going and get further.”

The event is University athletes’ version of the Olympics held every four years and has 8,000 athletes with 146 different countries competing altogether.

“It was very surreal,” said Sanders, who stayed with his team in an athletes village during the competition.

“They built a whole complex for the event, full of massive blocks of penthouses, and each country had a set part of the accommodation block.”

Sanders admits he thought about retiring from the sport and has applied to join the Cirque du Soleil show.

If unsuccessful he is likely to continue and already has his sights set on the British Championships in November and the Commonwealth Games next year.