Daniel Keatings’ eagerly anticipated return to competition will take place at this weekend’s Scottish Championships at Perth’s Bells Sports Centre (26-27 Feb).

This will be his first competition since last spring and will put behind him a year of highs and lows.  In April he became Britain’s first ever European Champion, winning the pommel horse final in Birmingham.  But then in a training accident he twisted the cruciate ligament in his right knee, forcing him to miss the rest of the season.

Keatings has been back training full time for the last four months.  He admits to feeling some nerves ahead of next week’s event but he is excited to be back competing.

“I'm going there to see what I can do under a little bit of pressure in my first competition back and it will be good just to get a little bit of competition experience under my belt again,” he said. 

“I'm feeling pretty good at the moment, though not as fit as I was at peak fitness when I was competing last year.  But hopefully in one or two more months I'll be back to the stage that I was when I was competing at the top of my game.

“Hopefully by the time the Europeans comes around I will have got a few routines under my belt and hopefully I can make the team to go there, not doing all round but doing a couple of pieces.”

Next weekend will be the 21 year old’s first Scottish Championships since three years ago.  Proud of his Scottish roots and referring to home in the Northants steel town Corby as ‘Little Scotland’ he can’t wait to be back competing back north of the border.

“I class Scotland as my home country and it will be amazing to compete in Scotland,” he said.  “There are so many Scottish people in Corby and I have a lot of family that live in Scotland as well.    Competing in your home country is always amazing and always gives you a great feeling.”

Although he is over 300 miles south of the central belt he is by no means out of reach of Scottish support.    With a strong established partnership between Scottish Gymnastics, British Gymnastics World Class Performance Programme (BG WCPP) and sportscotland's institute of sport he has the additional benefit of knowing that all parties are working together to help keep him on track for both London 2012 and Glasgow 2014.  

Before the BG WCPP was fully established Daniel received institute support through physiotherapy provision and is thankful that this support is there should he need it again in future.  

"In the past I've had a lot of help from the institute, mainly with physio," said Keatings.  "If I need any help in any way I know everyone will do all they can to support me which is obviously an amazing help." 

The Scottish Championships will allow him to resume his close rivalry with Stockport based Scot, Daniel Purvis and give gymnastics fans a rare opportunity to see two world class performers in action here. 

“It's awesome to have two people in the British national team both competing for Scotland,” said Keatings.  “Dan had an amazing year last year, which obviously shows the depth that we have in the British squad.  Both coming from Scotland it’s looking good looking forward to the 2014 Commonwealth Games.  We are both definitely going to be going for 2014.”

Asked whether he plans on competing in next year’s London Olympic he says it’s in the back of his mind for the time being but admits there are other hurdles to clear first, not least getting fitter and re-establishing himself.  In Scotland next weekend Keatings fans won’t see a full routine but will get to watch an athlete hopefully on his way back to the top flight.

“It will be a good stepping stone for me because it will be a first competition for me after the year that I've had out,” he said.

“And it will be nice to be able to test some routines before the big competitions like the World Championships and the European Championships this year.

“I'm excited but slightly nervous as well because I haven't competed for a year.  But hopefully I'll go out there and do a good job.”

RE-J