Louis Smith: Gymnast's Epic Performance Is Already One of London's Best Stories

Great Britain's Olympic hopes usually rest on swimming, cycling and rowing events. They never rest on their men's gymnastics team, but that could all change this year because of Louis Smith.

Smith led his British teammates to a bronze medal in Monday's team final. Los Angeles Times reporter Diane Pucin spoke to this remarkable achievement.

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China won the gold medal, Japan vaulted into the silver medal spot and Great Britain was down to bronze, still its first team medal since 1912.

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Great Britain was aided by excellence in the floor routine and Smith's performance on the pommel horse.

According to BBC reporter Ollie Williams, the Brits' men's team hasn't even reached a team final in a very long time.

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Britain has little history of success in men's gymnastics and this marks the first occasion in the modern post-war sport that a British men's team has reached the Olympic final.

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As you can see, this is a big deal. It didn't even matter how they finished. Great Britain had reached unfamiliar heights, and that's due in large part to Smith's performances.

He isn't in unfamiliar territory completely. According to Williams, Smith's bronze medal (pommel horse) in 2008 was Britain's first men's gymnastics medal in 80 years. He managed to go where no one had gone before in his country in a very long time, and he's well on his way to doing it all over again in front of his home crowd.

Smith's third-place finish in Beijing was a big deal because of his country's lack of success in his event, but this year means even more. He will have a chance to medal in pommel horse and the vault as an individual on top of the unprecedented success he's helped create for his entire team.

This is what the Olympics are all about. Inspirational stories come in all shapes and sizes, and Smith's leadership for the underdog host team is as good as it gets. He's only one piece of their puzzle, but he's the most talented athlete they have to offer.

As a team, Great Britain has transcended all expectations in the gymnastic circle, and Smith has a chance to add to that. If he earns one, or two, individual medals he will be viewed as a hero in his home country.

Success on a team level is the ultimate achievement in gymnastics because everyone has to be clicking at once. There can't be any missteps, and that goes for everyone involved.

Smith has already proven that he's a key cog for his team. Now he's trying to bring something back home (sort of) that his countrymen haven't held for a very, very long time.

If that's not one of London's best stories, what is?