I’ve predicted that Louis Smith from England will win Pommels, over Berki and the rest. … He qualified to the Final with the 4th highest score.
I like Louis’ attitude under pressure. And I respect his coach.
Duncan White on The Telegraph:
Paul Hall
The CoachI can’t remember the exact day when Louis first came down to the gym, he was just one boy among a group. I noticed there was something special about him early on, but it wasn’t special in terms of gymnastics.
He was hard work, very different to the other kids. He had a very poor attention span and was mischievous. He was always messing around, getting into trouble. …
I’ve known Louis most of his life. At the start I was very dictatorial, shouting and screaming at him, with lots of strong discipline. That changed as Louis matured. It has been a learning curve for both of us.
As Louis has grown I have changed my methods, tried to approach him more as an adult. It’s as much about understanding motivation as it is about training. …
Louis Smith
The GymnastWhen I was young I was probably the worst kind of kid to coach: the problem child from hell. I had ADHD, a short attention span and I was just crazy. …
Paul was strict with me and sometimes he’d get me to focus, he tried his best. It was certainly clear I paid more attention to things that I enjoyed doing. That was probably why I had problems at school, because it didn’t interest me. …
I have become more independent in some respects. Paul has adapted to that well and he understands how to treat me individually. …
read the entire interview – London 2012 Olympics: gymnast Louis Smith and coach Paul Hall are raising the bar
Gymnastics Coaching.com 