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Tokyo

Winning medals at a World Championships would normally be the ambition for anyone.

But for Britain's gymnasts, the priority over the next 10 days is qualifying for London 2012.

For the first time in modern gymnastics, Britain has an excellent chance of sending a full complement of 10 gymnasts to an Olympics.

To do that, the two British teams here - men's and women's - must finish in the top eight after team qualifying at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.

Given the British men came through qualifying at last year's Worlds in fourth, and the women fifth, that target is well within reach. But it means thoughts of medals can wait.

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Britain's fencers haven't known anything like it. In the past two months, their training has been revolutionised - and doubled.

"I've never trained this hard in my whole life," says Richard Kruse, Britain's best bet for a medal at London 2012, as he takes a break during a week of preparation for next week's in Sicily.

"By the time the World Championships come, I'll either be dead or a gold medallist."

would prefer the latter. A medal of any colour at senior world level has been beyond Britain since the 1960s.

In May this year the governing body hired a new performance director, , to put things right.

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