Jackson's gold chase

Kanukai Jackson will be looking to make history today by becoming the first English gymnast to beat the medal haul of three-times Commonwealth champion Neil Thomas.

After years of injury misery which almost forced him to quit the sport and accept a lucrative offer to join the circus, the 25-year-old Londoner produced a magnificent display yesterday to add the individual, all-round title to the team gold medal won by the English men on Friday.

Now Jackson, who psyches himself up by listening to dance music on headphones, has the chance to win even more medals in the individual apparatus events this afternoon.

If he reproduces the form which saw him score the highest ratings on the rings, vault and parallel bars yesterday he could return to Harrow with five gold medals.

"I am entered for all six finals," he said. "Hopefully I can pick up some more medals. I had terrible injuries in 1998 and I wondered whether I would be able to compete again.

"I had the chance to go into the circus. I considered it but I spoke to a few people and decided to stay in gymnastics, and winning vault bronze at the European Championships and gold medals here proved I had more to give the sport."