Louis Smith (gymnast)
Louis Antoine Smith, born 22 April 1989 in Peterborough, England, is a retired English artistic gymnast who specialized in the pommel horse. He trained at Huntingdon Gymnastics Club under coach Paul Hall and was diagnosed with ADHD as a child.
Olympic success: Smith won three pommel horse medals across three Games. He earned bronze at Beijing 2008—the first British man to win an Olympic gymnastics medal since 1908. In London 2012 he won silver on the pommel horse and helped Great Britain win team bronze. In Rio 2016 he again won silver on the pommel horse, finishing behind teammate Max Whitlock. He was the first British gymnast to win Olympic medals in three different Games and the second gymnast ever to win three straight Olympic pommel horse medals.
Other career highlights: As a junior he was European champion on the pommel horse in 2004 and 2006, and he later became European champion again in 2015. He helped Britain win team gold at the European Championships in 2012 and won Commonwealth gold in 2006. He earned multiple European silver medals and contributed to Great Britain’s team success at major events.
Off the mats, Smith has enjoyed television success, winning Strictly Come Dancing in 2012 with Flavia Caciace and later winning The Masked Dancer in 2021 as “The Carwash.” He also finished as a runner-up on The Jump in 2017. He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2013 for services to gymnastics.
Personal life: He is the son of Elaine and Claude Smith. He grew up in Cambridgeshire and attended Arthur Mellows Village College.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 09:54 (CET).