GREAT Britain’s men’s gymnastic team will have to rely on qualifying for next year’s Olympics at a forthcoming test event after failing to finish in the top eight in Tokyo.

The team finished a disappointing 10th in the World Championships, held in Japan, and will now have to secure a place in the top four against the eight teams that finished between eighth and 16th in the Far East.

Britain’s women have secured their place at next year’s showpiece but the men will have to earn their place at the test event at Greenwich Dome next year.

“We have made some significant progress in the last few years, to the point where we had some realistic hopes for this competition,” said British Gymnastics Olympic performance director Tim Jones.

“As a team aiming to establish itself in the top eight in the world we knew we would face a serious challenge in achieving our goal, and we certainly weren’t complacent.

“After a solid start on the first three pieces of apparatus, we did not expect to make so many mistakes on high bar, which ended up so seriously undermining our challenge.

“However, we know that our gymnasts were not outclassed, and they are a talented group who will rise to the challenge of qualifying for the London Olympic Games at the second qualification opportunity in January.”

If the men do qualify, it will be the first time since 1984 that Britain has sent full men’s and women’s teams to the Games.