Wolverhampton gymnast Kristian Thomas picked for Team GB

Wolverhampton's Kristian Thomas was this afternoon named in Team GB's Olympic gymnastic squad for London 2012.

The 23-year-old has made the five-man team for the Games and revealed his joy after achieving his lifelong dream.

Thomas won European Championship gold with Great Britain in May but insisted making Team GB is the pinnacle of his career.

"It feels amazing. It's absolutely fantastic to be part of the team," Thomas told the Express & Star at the Team GB Preparation Camp in Loughborough this afternoon.

"It's been a long slog. Now I'm here it feels like 'this is it'. This is what we've been training all these years for. All the hard work, dedication and blood, sweat and tears – everything – has been worth it. Now I've got the kit on I can say I'm going to be an Olympian which is my dream. It's what I've been training all my life for."

Thomas' stunning high bar routine clinched team gold in the European Championships in Montpellier in May but he faced an anxious wait over selection after fourth place in the British Championships last month.

The gymnastics will take place at the North Greenwich Arena and Thomas is joined by Beijing bronze medallist Louis Smith, Max Whitlock, Sam Oldham and Dan Purvis.

It means 2010 European Champion Dan Keatings, who had just recovered from an ankle injury, and Ruslan Panteleymonov miss out with the team set to travel to France next week.

"We're in France for a two week training camp and then we go straight into the village so we're going to be away for five weeks," added Thomas. "Lets hope we get all our kit today – and plenty of it – because we need quite a lot."

And British Gymnastic Olympic Performance director Tim Jones expects Thomas and his team-mates to shine in London.

He said: "The Olympic cycle has been the most productive and successful ever for British Gymnastics at international level and we go into the Games in great shape with more gymnasts capable of making their mark than ever before."