Sam Oldham is determined to make up for lost time as he targets silverware at this week’s European Championships in Montpellier, France.
 
Oldham returns to the Great Britain squad for the European Championships, his first major competition since suffering a serious ankle injury at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
 
The 22-year-old suffered the injury – which required surgery – while performing a Dragulescu vault routine for Team England.
 
Oldham's best results have come in the high bar previously, but he believes ankle injury has given him the chance to become a better all rounder.
 
The lay-off has enabled him to increase his strength work, which resulted in a personal best on rings in November and an improvement in his pommel horse.
 
"It was an incredibly serious injury and I'm so far ahead of where I should be," Oldham told BBC Sport.
 
"If I make the all-around final I'll be trying to make that podium.
 
"I was incredibly emotional, frustrated, angry. I was in the best shape of my career.
 
"When I was out I realised how much I missed gymnastics. I hated not being able to do it. It's been a tough eight months. But now I feel I've got a new lease of life."
 
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